Gemini receives extensive app access

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Google gives Gemini extensive app access

Google's Gemini app can now read WhatsApp chats on Android devices. Anyone who doesn't want this to work will have to do a lot.

Earlier this week, Google expanded Gemini's capabilities, allowing the AI ​​app to access data from any app. Google is promoting this as an expanded feature set and emphasizing that Gemini can help with everyday tasks on Android smartphones.

There's vague talk that Gemini will help with things like calls, messages, and WhatsApp. The AI ​​service is said to be able to perform many tasks, including voice commands. Google customers in the US have received corresponding emails. Whether this also applies to Germany is currently unknown.

And this is only partially possible because Google's service reads SMS and WhatsApp chats. Ars Technica drew attention to this change and encountered the problem that these reading functions cannot be easily disabled.

User data is used for Gemini training

A support document for Gemini states that the data read by Gemini is not only used within the AI, but is also "read, annotated, and processed by human reviewers (including service providers) ." Unauthorized individuals could view confidential and personal data.

Additionally, Google uses the data collected by Gemini for AI training, and users are unclear about how this data is further used. It's conceivable that confidential and personal data is incorporated into the AI ​​model.

Gemini cannot easily be denied access to data

Gemini is pre-installed on many newer Android devices and cannot be easily uninstalled. Ars Technica therefore recommends installing the app from your smartphone using ADB commands if you don't want to use it. However, according to Neowin 's observations , this doesn't actually remove Gemini from your smartphone.

This is also due to the fact that Gemini is deeply integrated into the operating system and used by numerous Google apps. According to the Neowin analysis, data access cannot be completely disabled without further ado. Google did not respond to Ars Technical request for comment regarding Gemini's data access.

Although the activities of Gemini apps can be switched off in the Gemini profile settings, Google still stores data from the respective apps for up to 72 hours, supposedly to "maintain the security of Gemini apps" .

If Gemini is pre-installed on your Android device, according to Neowin, there's only one reliable way to completely disable Google AI: deactivating the Google app itself. However, this also disables Google Search, which may not be entirely desirable. Whether this also applies to Gemini on iOS is currently unknown.