Google is starting to roll out an update to Gemini that will give the company's artificial intelligence (AI) engine access to third-party apps installed on your Android device. The changes will work by default, but opting out of them is a bit problematic, ArsTechnica reports.
The company has started sending some users emails with a link to a support page that says, among other things, that "people (including service providers) read, comment on, and process" the data Gemini collects. It also says that users can restrict Gemini's access to apps, but even then, the data will be retained for 72 hours.
What Google doesn't say is how to completely restrict Gemini's access to third-party apps like WhatsApp, which is mentioned in the letter. What's more, the company says these changes will take effect even if users have previously restricted Gemini's access to other apps.
However, a little further down in the same letter, Google contradicts these words and says that if users have previously opted out of these features by turning off the "Gemini App Activity History" setting, then the update will not work.
ArsTechnica's reporter explained that he was able to find Gemini's data retention settings on one of the Google Account settings pages. There, you can completely delete your chatbot history and limit further data collection, except for 72 hours. However, there are no settings for integration.
Google, in its comments to the media, also does not give a specific answer as to how one can completely refuse to grant Gemini access to other applications. Instead, the company says that the new functionality will be useful for users.
"This update is good for users: they can now use Gemini to complete daily tasks on their mobile devices like send messages, initiate phone calls, and set timers while Gemini Apps Activity is turned off. With Gemini Apps Activity turned off, their Gemini chats are not being reviewed or used to improve our AI models," the company said in a statement.
Researchers at Tuta, a cloud-based email and calendar service provider, say Google is building Gemini into Android in the same way Microsoft once built Internet Explorer into Windows. The company says that deleting and opting out of history will likely prevent the data from being collected, which will simply be stored for 72 hours. It also notes that if Gemini is not installed on an Android device, it shouldn't appear even with future updates.