A Google email about Gemini set off a mini panic online—and yeah, it looked shady at first glance. The message said Gemini would soon be able to access your Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and other utilities even when your chat history is off. That had people freaking out, wondering if Google’s AI was about to go full-on spy mode. But once the dust settled, it turns out things aren’t nearly as creepy as they seemed.
So, is Gemini reading your texts without permission?
Not really. Before this update, if you wanted Gemini to do tasks like send texts, make calls, or set reminders, you had to keep Gemini Apps Activity on. That meant your chats were saved to Google’s servers—and yes, they could be used to train its AI models. If you turned the setting off, those extensions just didn’t work.
Now, Google’s actually loosening that requirement. You can keep your history off and still use those handy features. That also means your chats won’t be used to train the AI, and they’ll only be stored temporarily (up to 72 hours), same as before.
Why this update might actually be good for privacy
On paper, this sounds like a win. You get more functionality without giving up full control of your data. If you’re not cool with any of it, you can still switch off Gemini’s access to your apps completely at gemini.google.com/apps. Nothing’s being forced down your throat.
Google’s likely doing this to prep Gemini for its next big role: replacing Google Assistant on Android phones. Pixel users already have Gemini as the default assistant, and tasks like sending messages and making calls are just part of the package now.
Chill, it’s not the AI apocalypse (yet)
So no, Gemini isn’t secretly going through your chats. The update is more about balancing convenience with privacy, especially as Google gears up to make Gemini your go-to assistant.
It’s still smart to keep an eye on how these tools evolve and what data they touch—but for now, there’s no need to panic.
