You pull out your phone, maybe to check something on Google—like a product or a restaurant. But instead of the expected list of websites, you’re greeted with a long AI-generated summary before even getting to the actual search results. Does this sound familiar? Personally, I appreciate AI when it streamlines tasks, but sometimes I just want a straightforward search without the extra fluff.
Luckily, there are ways to navigate around this. You can add a few characters to your search, or utilize a built-in Google filter. And if you’re fed up with AI suggestions on your iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel, there are adjustments you can make there too.
If you’re interested, there’s an upcoming online class hosted by Kurt Knutsson, aka “CyberGuy,” focusing on how to travel smarter while saving money. He plans to share insights on securing your phone, hunting down better deals, and avoiding scams throughout the holiday travel season.
Now, back to searching. If you want to bypass those AI-generated summaries, also known as AI Overviews, there are a few options available. Google integrates these summaries above the traditional results when it thinks they could be helpful. Sometimes they’re convenient, but they can block the actual websites you want to read. Google admits that these Overviews can’t be entirely turned off in the search settings, but you can try a workaround.
One quick tip is to add “-AI” at the end of your search. This can prevent an AI Overview from popping up, but keep in mind that Google uses the minus sign to exclude terms, which means you could miss relevant pages too. If this doesn’t work, another reliable option involves using Google’s built-in Web filter.
Here’s how: Open your browser, type in your search, hit Search, and look for filter options at the top of the results. Select “Web” to see just the traditional links without AI Overviews. Be aware, you may need to reselect this for subsequent searches, but it does cut to the chase.
If you’re really done with AI interference, DuckDuckGo offers a version of its search engine called No-AI, where you can search without seeing any AI-assisted answers or suggestions; however, this doesn’t change your default search engine.
Switching gears, if you find Siri’s suggestions annoying when searching on your iPhone, you can turn them off. Just go into Settings, tap on Siri, and disable “Suggest Apps Before Searching.” This prevents Siri from cluttering your search screen with recommendations. If you want, you can also deactivate Siri altogether or revert to the older version of Siri if you find the newer conversational features too chatty.
Also, your iPhone may summarize notifications and messages, which some might find helpful, but if you prefer original content, you can disable this in the settings under Notifications.
On Samsung Galaxy phones, you can control how AI features function. Head to Settings, select Galaxy AI, and turn off any features that don’t suit you. Some features may be hardcoded into the system, though, so keep that in mind.
For Google Pixel users, there are similar adjustments. If features like Magic Cue or Proactive Assistance are too intrusive, you can switch them off through your settings.
As for Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, if it keeps activating unintentionally, you can turn off voice activation or change its default settings to stop it from launching when you press the power button.
While you can’t entirely eliminate all AI capabilities from your phone, you can certainly minimize them. Disabling unused features can help regain a sense of control over your device. Ultimately, I appreciate having AI around when I need it, but I don’t need it dictating how I use my technology at all times.
So, what do you think? Are tech companies providing useful AI enhancements, or are they overstepping into our personal space? Feel free to share your thoughts.
