How to make Google Gemini forget your chat history

La Artificial Intelligence It's already part of many people's routine, and with the arrival of Google Gemini's usage has skyrocketed on mobile phones Android and on the web; therefore, it's normal to wonder how to limit what is saved. In this article you will learn how to do that. Gemini, forget your chat historyto disable the recording of new conversations, and to delete what is already stored in your account.

In addition to explaining the key settings, we'll show you where to view your activity, how to delete individual conversations or batches, and what actually happens when you disable saving. We'll also review the new memory feature in Gemini Advanced, how it differs from history, and what implications it has for your privacy. tips to avoid leaving an unnecessary trace.

What exactly does Gemini hold and why?

When you are logged in and the corresponding setting is enabled, Google stores the Gemini app activityYour requests, assistant responses, and other associated data are stored here. This helps the system provide more useful results, remember the context within a chat, and allow you to return to any conversation you've started later.

In the privacy section, Google makes it clear that you can review what's saved, delete it, or disable saving altogether whenever you want. However, there's an important caveat: even if you disable the activity setting, your chats may still be saved. Up to 72 hours For service provision and security purposes. It is a temporary checkpoint and does not constitute a permanent complete record.

By default, automatic deletion is set to 18 months in many cases, but you can change this period so your data is deleted periodically. Common options include frameworks such as 3, 18 or 36 months, which you can adapt to your level of tolerance regarding information retention.

If you use voice features or Gemini Live, you can also manage whether Google can use them. your audio recordings to improve services. This setting is independent of chat history and can be disabled at any time from your account activity controls.

How to view chat history in Gemini

In the web version, you'll see a sidebar with your recent conversations, each with its questions and answers grouped together; it's the quickest way to access your latest conversations. To view the full record, scroll to the bottom left corner and go to ActivityYou can also access it directly with this link: myactivity.google.com/product/gemini.

This My Activity page lists all interactions with the IA from Google, one after the other, chronologically. It's very useful if you want to review something you did days ago or if you prefer to delete several items at once; here, in addition, everything is unified on a single screen, without having to go chat by chat.

In the Gemini mobile app, the speech bubble icon opens your chat list. You can also open the three-line menu (hamburger menu) or tap your avatar to access settings and find the activity section. Regardless of the device, your chats are linked to your account, so They synchronize between mobile and computer without you having to do anything.

One interesting detail: each conversation retains its own context. So if you resume a chat from another platform, the AI ​​"remembers" what was discussed in that specific thread. This doesn't mean it uses your entire history indiscriminately; in fact, when you start a new topic, it's best to open a new chat to... to avoid the previous context distort the answers.

How to delete individual conversations and your activity in batches

If you only want to get rid of a specific chat, use the options menu within the thread itself, in the recent chats section. There you can pin, rename, or delete it. It's a convenient way to selectively clean up when a conversation is no longer relevant or contains unwanted content. sensitive information that you prefer to remove as soon as possible.

To delete in bulk, go back to My Gemini Activity and click on DeleteYou'll see several interval options: last hour, last day, a custom range, or delete everything "from all time." If you want to reset it to zero, choose the global option and confirm on the information screen that warns you about what this step entails.

Remember that disabling saving doesn't delete previous conversations: if you had earlier chats, you'll need to delete them manually in My Activity or from Recent Chats. This is a key distinction, because many people believe that turning off chat history will erase everything. Everything disappears immediatelyAnd that's not the case; it only affects what comes after that moment.

When you delete a chat from your pinned or recent chats list, all content created within that thread, such as documents or Canvas apps, as well as any associated activity, also disappears. It's a complete deletion of the thread, so it won't reappear in your recent chats. featured chats nor in the activity log.

Disable saving so that Gemini does not save new chats

On the Gemini website, scroll down to the bottom left corner and enter Settings and helpInside, look for the privacy settings (in some cases you'll see "Saved information" or a "Gemini app activity" toggle). Uncheck the switch that indicates the app can save your interactions on the account.

Another way is to go to My Activity and disable the "Save/Preserve activity" setting specific to Gemini apps. On mobile devices, you'll find it in the menu that opens when you tap your profile picture; go to the account controls and you'll see the block focused on Gemini activity with the option to stop saving.

With history disabled, Gemini will stop storing your future conversations in your account. You'll notice this because new chats will no longer accumulate in the Recents column or in My Activity. However, keep in mind the temporary retention period: for technical and security reasons, Google may retain messages for up to 72 hours even with history turned off.

If you're interested in going a step further, in the same settings area you'll find the option to "Disable and delete activity," which combines disabling the history with a bulk deletion of existing activity. It's a quick way for those who want starting from scratch and, at the same time, minimize what is saved going forward.

Configure automatic deletion and other privacy controls

In addition to manual deletion, you can activate automatic deletion so that, every so often, Gemini, delete your activity Without you having to remember. Go to My Activity and choose your preferred period (for example, every 3, 18, or 36 months). This way, your history won't grow indefinitely, and you'll reduce unnecessary risks.

In your account's activity controls, you can also adjust how your voice data is used when you talk to Gemini or use Gemini Live. Here you can disable Google's use of your voice data. audio recordings To improve their services, and to check if associated transcripts are stored. These are additional settings worth reviewing if you're concerned about privacy.

At all times, the My Activity console tells you what has been deleted and what hasn't, and also offers filters by date and interaction type. Taking a few minutes to configure these sections is the easiest way to control your footprint and that nothing is kept longer than necessary.

Differences between history, activity, and memory in Gemini Advanced

It's important to distinguish between three concepts. First, the "recent" list you see in the app or on the website: these are your chats organized into threads, designed to help you pick up where you left off. Second, the My Activity page, where the detailed record of what you have done with Gemini appears and from which you can delete in batches or change retention policies.

The third concept is "memory," a function that Google has been introducing in Gemini Advanced and that brings the experience closer to a more proactive AI. The idea is that the service will be able to remember useful details from previous chats to offer more personalized responses, and even summarize past conversations so you don't have to search for them manually.

Google has not provided full details on the technical workings of this memory or all the fine-tuning options in every language and plan, and its rollout has begun in English with a promise to expand to more languages ​​(including Spanish). By comparison, systems like ChatGPT identify potentially useful memories and allow you to request that they be forgotten, but it is important not to confuse this "memory" with the history or traditional activity of your account.

The practical key is that, even though there are recall capabilities within an advanced plan, you can always control and erase your data. related activity From My Activity. If memory relies in part on what's in your account, practicing good data hygiene (disabling saving, batch deletion, setting automatic deletion) helps limit its reach.

Search, pin, and rename conversations to get better organized

In the recent chats list, you can manually pin the chats you use most often for easy access. It's also possible rename them to identify them at a glance. They are very practical shortcuts when you work on several topics and don't want to waste time tracking down similar threads.

Although Gemini doesn't always display a search bar within the chat list on all platforms, the activity area does offer filters by date and category. Until a more comprehensive universal search appears, using thread renaming and the... pinned chats It saves you a lot of time and avoids duplicating conversations.

If you decide to delete a chat from your pinned chats or recent chats list, both the thread and its associated content and activity will be deleted. This behavior ensures that, when cleaning up, there are no remains scattered from the same chat in other sections of the service.

"Incognito" mode mindset: how it's similar and how it's different

Turning off history in Gemini is similar to browsing in incognito mode: it limits what's saved to your account or device, but it doesn't magically encrypt everything between your device and the servers, nor does it make you invisible. This comparison helps to understand that disable saving It's a good layer of privacy, but not the only one you should consider.

Think of these measures as part of a strategy: batch delete when you close a project, enable short-term automatic deletion, and disable saving if you're handling sensitive data. Ideally, combine these practices so that even if you forget to clean something on a particular day, your exposure should be minimal en There.

Troubleshooting: "I've lost my chat", duplicates, and other issues

Sometimes a chat may appear to have been "reset" or the thread may lose context from what was discussed the night before. First, look in My Activity If the interactions are still there, and they appear as active but the chat seems new, there's no guaranteed way to reinject that context into the same thread, and you'll have to continue from what is visible.

If you don't see the chat in your recent chats but you do see it in your activity, also check that you haven't accidentally deleted the thread or that you haven't had multiple sessions on different devices that have created duplicates. Logging out and logging back in, as well as clearing your browser cache, sometimes helps. solves visualizations inconsistent interface, although it does not recover deleted content.

To avoid future problems, get into the habit of pinning active threads, using clear titles, and if you're going to disable history, do a... tidy cleanliness From My Activity. These are simple habits that prevent surprises when you work with several queries at once or switch devices.

Quick guide: key steps to make Gemini forget your chats

For reference, these are the action blocks you should be clear on. First, disable activity saving for Gemini apps from "Settings and Help" on the website or from your avatar in the app and account controls; this prevents it from being accumulate new chats in your history.

Second, delete what already exists by entering myactivity.google.com/product/gemini and use the "Delete" button to choose your preferred range. If you want a complete deletion, select "all time" and confirm. irreversible operation which shows the notice.

Third, activate automatic deletion for the shortest period that suits you (for example, 3 months) so the system will take care of deleting files periodically. This way, even if you forget to clean one day, there will be a backup. time limit which will limit what is preserved.

Fourth, if you use voice or Gemini Live, go into the audio settings to prevent your recordings from being used for service improvement purposes, if you prefer. This control complements the chat activity And it's worth reviewing if your priority is to minimize stored data.

If you're concerned about privacy when using AI in your daily life, combining turning off history with selective deletion, automatic removal, and reviewing audio settings is a simple and effective solution. With these measures, your conversations with Gemini They won't accumulate unnecessarily, and you'll have the control to decide what to save and what not to save at any given time.