On Tuesday, Google sent out an email to select users that sparked discussions about privacy issues. Several individuals took to social media to share screenshots of the correspondence, which included a line indicating that the Gemini AI assistant on Android would be capable of connecting to certain applications, regardless of whether the App Activity setting is disabled. The confusion arose due to the term “apps” being used in multiple contexts, leading many to interpret the message differently.
Potential Misinterpretation of Google’s Email
The email stated, “Gemini will soon be able to help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off.” However, it also included a clarification, stating, “If you don’t want to use these features, you can turn them off in the Apps settings.”
This created confusion among users who noted that “Apps” could refer to both the Gemini extensions that allow the AI assistant to engage with native and third-party applications, along with the setting itself. Many users felt that the company had failed to clearly outline how they could disable the feature.
As reported by 9to5Google, the term “Gemini Apps Activity” actually denotes a specific setting accessible only via the website. This setting determines whether Google retains user prompts and interactions with Gemini for an activity log. It can be found in the profile menu of their mobile apps and the side panel of the web client. Users can locate it here.
When activated, this setting permits Google to utilize user data to enhance and personalize its products and AI technologies, with access granted to human reviewers. Conversely, if the setting is disabled, the information is deleted within 72 hours after the server processes it for AI output.
Previously, with this setting deactivated, the Gemini AI assistant was unable to connect to on-device applications, as highlighted in the report. Following the planned update on July 7, this limitation will be removed. Users will not need to enable activity logging for Gemini to integrate with WhatsApp, the Phone app, Messages, and Utilities.
It appears that the forthcoming update is not expected to raise any new privacy issues but rather to address a long-standing concern for the company.
