Google is introducing an update to its AI chatbot, Gemini, enabling it to retain memory of previous conversations automatically. With this feature activated, Gemini will effortlessly recall “key details and preferences” to enhance the personalization of its responses.
This enhancement builds on a prior update from the previous year, which allowed users to manually instruct Gemini to remember their personal preferences. Now, users won’t need to provide prompts; Gemini will independently suggest ideas based on past interactions. For instance, if a user has previously sought suggestions for a YouTube channel about Japanese culture, the chatbot may later propose ideas such as creating content focused on Japanese cuisine.
An article published recently in the New York Times linked the introduction of memory functions in AI models such as ChatGPT to a spike in reports of “delusional” conversations. Following this, OpenAI announced advancements in safety measures aimed at identifying mental or emotional distress during interactions.
Google representative Elijah Lawal stated that the company is “constantly” enhancing its privacy measures. He emphasized, “Our ambition has been to create a personal AI assistant, and having Gemini learn your preferences is essential to this goal. It is equally important to provide users with straightforward options to customize their experience, enabling them to turn this function on or off whenever they choose.”
While the memory feature will be enabled by default, users can disable it by navigating to the settings in the Gemini app and selecting Personal Context. From there, they can toggle off the Your past chats with Gemini option. The rollout of this feature will begin in “select countries” today, specifically for the Gemini 2.5 Pro model, with plans to expand to more regions and the Gemini 2.5 Flash model in the future.
In addition to the memory enhancement, Google is also revising its privacy settings. In the coming weeks, the “Gemini Apps Activity” setting will be relabeled as “Keep Activity.” When activated, this feature will utilize a sample of users’ file and photo uploads to enhance services for everyone starting September 2nd, according to Google’s communication. It is important to note that “Keep Activity” will remain deactivated for those who have previously turned off “Gemini Apps Activity.”
Additionally, users will have the option to engage in “temporary chats.” These interactions will not be stored in recent chat history or included in the Keep Activity setting. The chatbot will not use information from these temporary conversations for future personalization, nor will it contribute to AI model training. Google will retain these temporary chats for a maximum of 72 hours, making them particularly useful for discussing sensitive topics or for preventing the chatbot from referencing specific prior discussions.
