Gmail users may want to reconsider using a certain Google service if they are concerned about the handling of their data by the company.
In November of the previous year, blogger and engineer Dave Jones used X to alert individuals to review their Google Gmail settings due to potential privacy concerns.
He stated in a post: “IMPORTANT message for everyone using Gmail.
“You have been automatically OPTED IN to allow Gmail to access all your private messages & attachments to train AI models.
“You have to manually turn off Smart Features in the Setting menu in TWO locations.”
Jones provided screenshots from Google’s Gmail settings, drawing attention to the ‘smart features’ option.
The option stated: “When you turn this setting on, you agree to let Gmail, Chat, and Meet use your content and activity in these products to provide smart features and personalize your experience.”
He also displayed a screenshot of the similar ‘smart features’ toggle for Google’s other services.
As reported by HuffPost, enabling these features, which are set by default, means Google could potentially use your email data to ‘train AI models’.
A Google spokesperson has disputed these allegations, telling HuffPost that these claims are ‘misleading’ and clarified that ‘Gmail Smart Features have existed for many years, and we do not use your Gmail content for training our Gemini AI model’.
IMPORTANT message for everyone using Gmail.
You have been automatically OPTED IN to allow Gmail to access all your private messages & attachments to train AI models.
You have to manually turn off Smart Features in the Setting menu in TWO locations.Retweet so every is aware. pic.twitter.com/54FKcr4jO2
— Dave Jones (@eevblog) November 19, 2025
The spokesperson further stated: “We are always transparent and clear if we make changes to our terms of service and policies.”
Despite this clarification, some users prefer to disable the feature anyway.
To disable it, users need to access their settings and opt out from two separate locations.
On a desktop, users should go to their settings (the cog icon in the top corner) and locate the ‘General’ tab to perform the initial opt-out by unselecting ‘smart features’.
Next, users need to go to ‘Manage Workplace smart feature settings’, which opens a secondary pop-up to toggle features within Google Workspace and other Google services.
Disabling these smart features will deactivate ‘Ask Gemini’, and users will lose options like summarizing content and having personalized searches or calendar events from emails.
The second action disables features such as showing restaurant reservations and orders in Maps, as well as suggested tickets or loyalty cards in Wallet, and responses, reminders, and suggestions from Google Assistant and the Gemini app.
On mobile devices, the process is quite similar.
Users can access the settings page, select ‘data privacy’, and then toggle off ‘smart features’ and go into the ‘Google Workspace smart features’ menu to turn off the feature for both Workspace and Google products.
Though this may appeal to those who prioritize privacy, it means losing access to features many Gmail users enjoy.
Automatic email filtering into ‘promotional’ and ‘social’ categories might stop, and functionalities like spell-check, grammar check, and autocorrect are tied to the Gemini opt-in.
Further comments from Google have been sought.