How to turn off Google AI Overviews?

In this article, I’ll show you exactly how to turn off Google AI overviews step by step.

But first, here’s how we got here…

• March 5, 2024 – Google rolls out a core update targeting sites using low-quality AI content.
• May 14, 2024 – Just two months later, Google launches AI Overviews to over 300 million users – putting its own AI content at the top of search results.

Yep. Google penalized websites for AI content… Then pushed its own AI answer above everyone else.

These AI Overviews, powered by Gemini, now dominate the first screen, pushing traditional sources out of first place in Google search results, replacing human idea generation and insight with automated summaries.

They’re flooding search results with confidently wrong info, misleading summaries, and even harmful advice. Many users find these AI summaries useless and unhelpful compared to traditional search results.

Here’s how bad it’s gotten:

“Eating mucus boosts immunity?” Google once claimed that consuming nose-picking remnants “may help prevent cavities, stomach ulcers and infections” – a bizarre statement derived from Wikipedia, not science.

Source

AI Overviews distract from real, trustworthy sources. They crowd out traditional links. And they cut creators – the very people Google trained its AI on – out of the traffic loop.

5 Ways to turn off Google AI Overviews

If you’re looking for a real fix – one that actually hides Google AI Overviews – you’ve got options.

Here are 5 proven ways to disable Google’s AI results:

Method 1. Use a custom “Google Web” in Chrome (Desktop Only)

We’re going to tweak Chrome’s built-in search settings to point your searches directly to the Web tab of Google. That version skips AI Overviews entirely.

It’s simple. It’s fast. It works.

How to set it up (Takes 1 Minute)

To do this, scroll down to Site Search and hit the “Add” button to create a new search engine entry. Fill in the search engine details as needed. You can also edit existing search engines if you want to customize their behavior further.

1. Open Chrome, then paste this into your address bar:

chrome://settings/searchEngines

1. Scroll down to Site Search and hit “Add”
2. In the popup, fill in:

• Search engine name: Google Web
• Shortcut: @web
• URL:

{google:baseURL}search?q=%s&udm=14

1. Click Save, then hit the Activate button next to “Google Web”

That’s it. You’re now running Google in AI-free mode by default.

What happens after

Once this is set up, you’ll notice your search results feel… familiar again. You’ll see organic links, site titles, and real source pages, not Google AI dominating the top of your Google search results.

And if you ever want to jump back to the AI-filled version? Easy. Just click the “All” tab at the top of the search page.

Here’s a small trade-off:

Since you’re using the Web tab version of Google by default, you might miss out on some extras, like rich media snippets, video carousels, or “People Also Ask” boxes. But if the goal is clean, accurate, and AI-free search, this trade-off is totally worth it.

Method 2. Block Google AI Overviews on mobile (Android & iOS only)

Turning off Google AI on mobile is trickier than on desktop. There’s no browser extension. No custom search engine settings like in Chrome for desktop.

We’ll use a clean little site called TenBlueLinks.org – it mimics the classic Google experience and helps hide AI Overviews from your mobile results.

Note: While TenBlueLinks.org is helpful, it does not fully disable Google AI summaries within search results, and Safari’s native options are limited.

How to set it up (Takes under 60 seconds)

1. On your Android phone or iOS, open Chrome (or any browser that supports search engine changes)
2. Visit: tenbluelinks.org
3. Open a new tab, then run a quick Google search (any query works – this step is key)
4. Tap the three dots menu in top right corner (iOS users will find it in the bottom right corner), then go to: Settings → Search Engine
5. Under “Recently Visited,” you’ll now see Google Web listed – select Google Web as your search engine to complete the setup

Done. You’ve now made Google Web (aka AI-free search) your default on mobile.

What happens next

From now on, every time you search through your Chrome address bar, you’ll skip AI Overviews entirely. All your search queries will now go directly to Google, bypassing AI Overviews. No auto-generated answers. No Gemini summaries. Just plain old organic search results – the way it should be.

Method 3. Turn off AI Overviews in Firefox (Mobile only)

Chrome, Safari, or Edge won’t let you manually add a custom search engine, which means you can’t reroute Google searches through the AI-free Web tab.

But there’s a workaround, and it works beautifully.

All you need is the Firefox browser. It gives you full control over your search engine setup, even on mobile. You may need to dig into settings to fully customize your search experience.

How to Turn Off Google AI in Firefox

This works on both iOS and Android.

1. Open Firefox → Tap the menu icon → Go to Settings
2. Tap on “Search”
3. Choose “Add Search Engine”
4. Fill in the following:

• Name: Google Web
• Search string URL:https://google.com/search?udm=14&q=%s

1. Tap “Save”
2. Finally, tap on “Google Web” and set it as your default search engine

Done.

Now, every time you search from Firefox, it’ll use Google Web by default, which hides AI Overviews completely.

Heads-up

This won’t affect searches in Safari, Chrome, or other mobile browsers, only Firefox. And unlike extensions or experimental flags, this trick is stable. It just works.

Method 4. Use the “NOT” operator to skip AI Overviews

Just add this to the end of your search: -AI

That’s it.

This isn’t an official Google feature or part of Search Labs. It’s a workaround that helps you rid your search results of AI Overviews.

By adding -ai, you’re using Google’s own exclusion operator to break the AI Overview trigger. You’re telling the search engine: “Show me results, but skip anything tied to this term.”

It doesn’t technically turn off Google AI, but it reliably keeps it out of your face.

Real-world example

Search this: fastest land animal

You’ll probably get a bold, AI-generated summary sitting above everything else.

Now try this instead: fastest land animal -AI

The AI Overview disappears.

You get clean, clickable links, just like Google Search used to be.

When to use it?

This trick works everywhere – Chrome, Safari, Firefox, mobile, or computer. It’s perfect when you’re stuck using the default search engine, can’t install anything, or just want a fast, AI-free search without tweaking your browser settings. No setup. No plugins. Just cleaner Google results the moment you need them.

Method 5. Use the “Web” Filter to ditch AI (Temporarily)

Google quietly added a Web tab – a built-in filter that shows you only classic blue links. No AI Overviews. No Gemini-generated blurbs.

Here’s how to use it:

• Search for anything on Google
• Click the “Web” tab below the search bar (if you don’t see it, hit “More” and select it)

Boom! AI Overviews vanish. You get a clean, clutter-free list of links.

But here’s the catch: Google doesn’t let you make this the default. So, unless you use a custom setup like we covered earlier, you’ll have to click it every time. Still, it’s a quick fix when you just want the old-school web results without AI interference.

Alternatively, you can use other search engines like Bing or Yahoo to avoid Google AI Overviews if you prefer a different search provider.

Wrap-up

Google’s all-in on AI Overviews – and they’re not slowing down.

But you don’t have to use them.

With a few quick tweaks, you now know exactly how to turn off Google AI (or sidestep it) on any browser or device. Whether you’re on Chrome, Firefox, Android, or iOS, you’ve got clear ways to remove AI from Google Search and bring back clean, reliable results.