AI Assistant
In Google Workspace, including side-panel and in-app features powered by Gemini, prompts, page content, and responses are not used to train Google’s foundation models by default. The content remains within your organization’s domain and is governed by Workspace or Cloud data-processing terms. These interactions are not retained beyond the session unless conversation history is explicitly enabled by the admin, and Google confirms that Workspace usage operates under enterprise-grade privacy and retention policies.
For personal use in Chrome, when you use the “ask about this page” feature, Gemini processes the content and URL of the tab you’ve chosen to share. Whether this data contributes to model improvement depends on your Keep Activity setting. If Keep Activity is turned off, Gemini does not use those chats for model training. Instead, content may be stored temporarily, typically for up to 72 hours, for reliability and safety. Feedback that you actively submit may be retained for up to three years, but is stored separately from your account identity.
If Keep Activity is on, your interactions with Gemini may be used to improve Google services, including AI model training, in accordance with the policies described in the Gemini Apps Privacy Hub. You can manage this setting and associated retention windows directly through your Google Account preferences.
For organizations using the Gemini Enterprise Starter Edition (free trial), Google’s terms specify that content may be used to improve models by default. However, administrators can opt out of training participation through the Service Settings panel. For paid Workspace services, Google does not use user content for product improvement or model training, regardless of trial status.
Gemini in Chrome can access the content of your current browser tab, but only if you choose to share it. When a tab is shared, Gemini receives the page content, page context, and URL. You can optionally share up to 10 additional open tabs and can stop sharing any of them at any time. This sharing is controlled on a per-tab basis, allowing you to manage and revoke access for each tab individually through the interface. Gemini uses the data you’ve shared to answer queries or provide suggestions based on page context.
When you share a Google Workspace document, such as a Google Doc or Sheet, Gemini may directly access the underlying file in your Workspace account. This allows it to analyze the full content of the document, not just what’s rendered in the browser tab. This deeper access is intended to support more accurate and context-aware responses when interacting with Workspace files.
Google’s documentation does not explicitly state whether Gemini in Chrome can access or interpret specific elements such as unsubmitted form fields, iframe content, embedded PDFs, shadow DOM elements, or local files. While it references “page content” and “context,” it does not enumerate support for individual element types, nor does it provide a detailed technical breakdown of how Gemini handles dynamic or hidden elements.
In summary, Gemini accesses the visible content and metadata of explicitly shared browser tabs and may retrieve Workspace file content when applicable. However, there is no public confirmation that Gemini reads or processes more granular web elements like form inputs, iframes, or local file embeds.
Gemini in Chrome is designed to be an assistive AI tool, not an automation agent. It can read the page content from the browser tabs you choose to share and use that information to answer your questions or generate summaries. It also receives associated context and the tab’s URL to inform its responses. However, there is no indication in Google’s documentation that Gemini can freely interact with the page, such as clicking buttons, typing text, or submitting forms, on its own.
The assistant’s role is limited to reading and responding, not performing actions on your behalf. Its behavior does not match that of a browser automation tool. Google’s help documentation explicitly positions Gemini in Chrome as a content interpreter, not a web driver or macro-like agent. There is no indication that Gemini has permission to control interface elements, trigger events, or make changes to a page outside of providing user-facing suggestions.
There is one narrow exception documented: Automated Password Change. On supported websites, Chrome can initiate and complete a password update for compromised credentials, using scoped automation built into the browser. This feature is unrelated to Gemini’s general-purpose functionality and is separately described in Chrome’s security and developer guides.
Gemini Live in Chrome supports limited voice-based control of your current tab, such as scrolling or highlighting content, based on user commands. These features enhance accessibility and user convenience but remain assistive in nature. Google has not documented any broader ability for Gemini to interact with the clipboard, upload/download files, or perform arbitrary page manipulation.
Gemini in Chrome can access and use the page content and URL of the tab you explicitly choose to share. Google also states that Gemini may incorporate contextual information from Chrome to respond more effectively to your prompts. In some cases, this may include elements of the page not directly visible to the user, though these specifics are not detailed. The assistant’s ability to access content is gated by user permission, meaning it does not passively read tabs unless shared.
In addition to page-level information, Gemini Apps may log technical metadata about your environment. This includes device type, browser configuration, operating system details, performance metrics, and crash or diagnostic information. These logs help support service functionality and quality assurance, but are not used to personalize model behavior unless permitted by your settings.
When Keep Activity is turned on, activity is linked to your Google Account and recorded in Gemini Apps Activity. However, Google notes that page content processed during Gemini interactions typically does not appear in your visible activity logs. Retention and data usage under this setting are governed by your configured auto-delete preferences or the Workspace admin policy if you are using an enterprise account.
Google does not currently document whether Gemini captures more granular metadata such as DOM or CSS selectors, page titles, form field names, or clipboard contents. The sources reviewed also do not confirm whether such data is stored or used, indicating that Gemini’s telemetry focuses on shared tab content, associated URLs, and general technical metadata. Element-level data capture is not explicitly disclosed in available help documentation.
For personal accounts using Gemini in Chrome, the retention of chat data and page context depends on your Keep Activity setting. If Keep Activity is turned off, Gemini retains your conversations and associated page data for approximately 72 hours. This short-term storage supports service reliability and safety reviews, but the data does not appear in your visible Gemini Apps Activity and is not used for model training unless you explicitly submit feedback. Submitted feedback, if provided, may be retained for up to three years and is stored in a way that is disconnected from your account identity.
If Keep Activity is turned on, your chats and context are saved to your Google Account and follow the auto-delete schedule you have selected - either 3, 18, or 36 months, or indefinitely if you do not set a deletion window. During this time, the data may be used to improve Google’s services and models unless you choose to opt out. You can manage or delete your data at any time through the Gemini Apps Activity page.
In Google Workspace environments, retention is controlled at the organization level. If conversation history is disabled by your administrator, session data is retained temporarily (up to 72 hours) for operational checks, after which it is deleted. If conversation history is enabled, chats are retained based on the organization's selected policy, which can be set to auto-delete after 3, 18, or 36 months, 18 months being the default.
Gemini data is stored either in your Google Account (for personal use) or under your organization’s Workspace configuration (for enterprise use). The sources do not specify physical storage locations or regional data boundaries, but confirm that retention scope is tied to account type and policy settings.
For personal Google accounts using Gemini in Chrome or Gemini Apps, you can manage retention settings through the Gemini Apps Activity page. This interface allows you to review and delete your chat history, adjust your auto-delete preferences (3, 18, or 36 months, or off entirely), and control whether your activity is used to improve Google’s models via the Keep Activity toggle. When activity saving is turned off, chats are no longer retained in your visible history and are excluded from model training, though temporary storage for safety purposes may still apply.
For Workspace and enterprise accounts, retention and deletion controls are handled by administrators and governed by organizational policies. Admins can decide whether conversations with Gemini are saved and for how long they are retained before auto-deletion. These settings are configured in the Admin Console, following the Workspace Privacy Hub guidance. Users within the organization do not have the ability to override these admin-imposed settings.
Export options also vary by account type. For personal accounts, you can export your Gemini-related data using Google Takeout, which allows a complete download of your stored activity. In contrast, for enterprise users, export capabilities are managed centrally by the organization, and availability depends on admin configurations and permissions set at the Workspace level.
In summary, personal users have direct access to their data controls through Gemini Apps Activity, including retention, deletion, and export settings. For Workspace users, these functions are administered through centralized policies, with end-user access and export rights defined by organizational governance.
In Google Workspace, the default configuration is that prompts and responses are not used to train Google’s models unless your organization explicitly opts in. This means you can remain opted out of training use and still preserve chat logs within your domain. To do this, admins simply need to avoid enrolling in any model training or feedback programs and ensure that conversation history remains enabled in the Admin Console.
For organizations using the Gemini Enterprise Starter Edition (free trial), Google’s terms specify that your content may be used to improve models by default. However, admins have the option to opt out by updating settings in the Service configuration panel. Importantly, opting out of model training does not affect your ability to retain history. Retention settings are managed separately under the conversation history policy in the Admin Console.
The Gemini app's historical behavior is scoped independently from any opt-in or opt-out status regarding model training. Turning off training does not disable chat logging, and turning on logging does not automatically enable training. The two features are distinct and controlled through different parts of the admin interface.
Admins can make these changes by navigating to Admin Console → Generative AI → Gemini app → Conversation history, where they can enable or disable logging and set the desired retention window. This setup allows organizations to maintain an internal record of Gemini interactions while remaining fully opted out of model training by Google.
Gemini’s behavior differs significantly depending on whether it is used with a personal Google account or within an enterprise, government, or educational Workspace environment. For personal users, if Keep Activity is turned on, Gemini conversations may be used to improve Google’s services and models. When this setting is off, chats are retained temporarily, usually around 72 hours, for operational reliability and are not used for training. The user can configure auto-deletion settings for longer-term history retention if desired.
In Workspace environments, prompts and responses are not used to train models unless explicitly permitted by the organization. Content remains confined within the organization and is not used to benefit other customers. By default, side-panel prompts and in-line features within Workspace apps are not retained after the session ends. However, if Gemini is used as a standalone app within Workspace, admins can choose whether to retain conversation history and set auto-delete windows of 3, 18, or 36 months, with 18 months as the default.
Permissions and data scope also differ. Workspace accounts operate under enterprise-grade privacy controls, meaning that data is governed by organizational policy and not shared externally without permission. Gemini interactions are subject to Workspace’s existing access rules, data protection mechanisms, and compliance configurations. In contrast, personal accounts follow Google’s consumer privacy settings and are managed directly by the user via the Gemini Apps Activity dashboard.
When you use Gemini in Chrome, the content of the current tab, along with its URL and general page context, is sent to Google for processing once you explicitly choose to share it. You may also share up to ten additional tabs, and you retain full control over what is shared. Tab sharing can be stopped at any time, and content is only accessed while the tab remains shared. Gemini uses this shared data to generate responses and assist with page-related queries, but it does not passively access tabs unless explicitly granted permission.
If you share a Google Workspace file, such as a Google Doc or Sheet, Gemini may retrieve the full file content directly from your Workspace account. This allows it to interpret the complete document, rather than relying solely on the rendered view in the browser. This behavior enables deeper analysis and context-aware assistance but still falls under Workspace’s existing access and data governance rules.
In addition to user-shared tab content, Gemini may incorporate public information from other Google services, such as Search, and when Keep Activity is turned on, location-aware services like Maps or YouTube. If you have granted precise location access, Gemini may use that information to contextualize its responses. These integrations help support more personalized or location-relevant replies.
Google’s documentation does not claim that Gemini in Chrome performs processing entirely on-device, nor does it specify individual endpoints or domains used. The assistant relies on Google’s cloud services for response generation, and no claims are made about local-only inference or offline operation for this feature.
Gemini in Chrome only processes content from tabs that users explicitly choose to share. At the individual level, users can manage sharing per tab, stop sharing at any time, and toggle off tab content sharing through Chrome settings. Gemini does not operate in Incognito mode, and all content sharing is opt-in and scoped by user control. These sharing controls are designed to ensure that Gemini never accesses web content without explicit permission from the user.
At the organization level, Google Workspace admins can control Gemini availability across services like Gmail, Docs, Meet, and Chat using the Admin Console. These controls can be applied by organizational unit or configuration group, giving admins the ability to enable or disable Gemini features selectively. For example, Gemini can be enabled for Docs while remaining disabled for Gmail, or scoped differently by team or business function. Admins may also turn off Gemini in Chrome using Chrome Enterprise policies, while still allowing use of the Gemini web or mobile apps.
In addition to feature toggles, Workspace includes a Generative AI defaults policy. This policy lets admins set whether generative features, including Gemini in Chrome, are allowed by default and define overrides per organizational group. These tools provide granular administrative control over where and how Gemini is available across your domain.
Google’s documentation does not currently offer allowlists or denylists by URL for Gemini in Chrome. Controls are managed at the service or feature level, not by individual websites. As a result, Gemini’s access scoping is determined by tab-level sharing (for users) and feature-level toggling (for admins), rather than per-site access control lists.
Admins have broad control over Gemini functionality within Google Workspace. Using the Admin Console, administrators can enable or disable Gemini across Workspace services such as Docs, Sheets, Meet, Gmail, and Chat. These controls can be scoped to specific organizational units or groups, allowing fine-tuned access policies based on team structure or business needs. Gemini features follow Workspace’s enterprise-grade data handling protocols, meaning user content is not shared outside the organization without explicit permission.
Retention of conversations in the Gemini app is also controlled by the admin. In Workspace, prompts and responses from Gemini in the side-panel or in-line features are not retained after the session ends. For the standalone Gemini app within Workspace, admins can configure whether to save conversations and choose an auto-deletion schedule of 3, 18, or 36 months, with 18 months set as the default. These retention policies allow organizations to maintain a level of logging that aligns with their compliance or audit requirements.
Data usage by Gemini in Workspace is governed by strict policies. By default, Workspace does not allow Gemini prompts and responses to be used for training foundation models. Gemini outputs inherit protections such as Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Information Rights Management (IRM), and Client-Side Encryption (CSE), where applicable. These controls ensure that content generated or inserted by Gemini respects existing Workspace security frameworks.
While the Admin Console offers extensive configuration options, current documentation does not include details about GPO or MDM policy keys for Gemini, nor does it provide controls for domain-level allow/deny lists or software update channels. The available admin tools focus on service-level toggles, user-based permissions, and data retention policies that align with broader Workspace governance structures.
Google provides first-party audit logs for Gemini usage within Workspace, allowing administrators to monitor assistant-related activity across supported Workspace apps like Docs, Sheets, and Slides. These logs are accessible through the Audit and Investigation tool in the Admin Console and include key attributes such as the action performed, the user (actor) involved, the application used, timestamps, and the event category. Admins can search, filter, and review these logs to understand how Gemini is being used across the organization.
Audit logs can be exported in several ways. From the Admin Console, results can be downloaded in CSV or Google Sheets format, with a limit of 100,000 rows via the basic export tool and up to 30 million rows via the Security Investigation Tool. Google also offers programmatic access to Workspace audit data through the Reports API, and Gemini-specific audit events are now supported for export to BigQuery, making it easier to centralize logs for long-term storage or advanced analytics.
For integration into security systems, Google provides documentation and a parser for ingesting Workspace audit logs into Google Chronicle (Security Operations). This allows organizations to route Gemini logs into their existing SIEM infrastructure for continuous monitoring, threat detection, or compliance checks. As of now, the sources do not document any official integrations with Microsoft Purview or Splunk.
Audit capabilities specific to Chrome or Gemini in Chrome are not detailed beyond the Workspace logs described. Chrome Enterprise settings allow admins to manage Gemini availability but do not add separate logging layers for assistant activity within the browser.
In Google Workspace environments, such as Gemini in Chrome or in-app Workspace features, prompts and responses are not used to train Google’s foundation models by default. When using Gemini through the Workspace side panel or other embedded tools, session content is not retained after the interaction ends. If Gemini is used via the standalone Gemini app within Workspace, conversation history can be saved, but only if an administrator enables it. Retention in these cases is governed by the admin-controlled auto-delete schedule, which supports durations of 3, 18, or 36 months, with 18 months as the default.
For personal Google accounts using the Gemini web or mobile apps, behavior is determined by the Keep Activity setting. When Keep Activity is turned on, chat history may be used to improve Google services and train models, and the user can choose how long their history is retained—either indefinitely or with auto-delete periods of 3, 18, or 36 months. When Keep Activity is off, Gemini does not use the data for training, and session content is only held temporarily (typically up to 72 hours) for reliability and safety.
Gemini API usage follows a different governance model. When Gemini is accessed through enterprise integrations, APIs, or paid Google Cloud services, the assistant operates under project-specific or contractual terms. In these cases, prompts and outputs are not used for model training unless explicitly permitted in writing. Retention, logging, and telemetry are determined by the policies of the hosting organization or Google Cloud agreement, and not by consumer app defaults.
In summary, Workspace usage provides default non-training behavior with optional admin-controlled retention, the consumer web/app version is governed by the user’s activity settings, and API-based access is subject to enterprise data-use contracts. Each mode operates under its own privacy and data retention framework, and organizations should consult the appropriate policy hub or service terms for their context.
Google has implemented several layers of protection within Gemini to reduce risks related to prompt injection and unauthorized data exfiltration. These protections are rooted in model-level policy enforcement, where the assistant is designed to reject or refuse prompts that aim to override safety boundaries or elicit restricted behavior. The Gemini Policy Guidelines define the types of requests that are automatically filtered or denied by the system, ensuring that prompts seeking sensitive or harmful outcomes do not receive actionable responses.
In addition to model safeguards, Gemini applies operational controls that restrict the context used for each session. The assistant only processes page content that the user has explicitly shared, such as a current browser tab or a selected Workspace file, and does not access unshared or passive data. Google uses a combination of automated systems and limited human review to evaluate content against safety standards. Any temporary retention that occurs is applied for reliability and policy compliance, not for model learning or third-party analysis.
Documentation also emphasizes that Gemini’s design includes permission scoping and strict sharing boundaries. Even when interacting with shared tab content or Workspace documents, Gemini respects user permissions and organizational access controls. This helps prevent data leakage from secure environments into unauthorized contexts, and the assistant’s outputs are constrained to only reflect content the user is permitted to view or act on.
As of now, there is no documented “safe mode” toggle or per-action confirmation system for Gemini in Chrome. While its safeguards are clearly policy-driven and permission-limited, the sources do not describe granular toggles to require user confirmation before taking action. Protection is therefore achieved through passive enforcement and architectural guardrails, not through explicit user prompts or override alerts.
Gemini in Workspace is designed to comply with enterprise-grade data governance frameworks, including data processing, access control, and retention. Google confirms that prompts and responses within Gemini are not used to train foundation models unless the organization explicitly permits it. All content stays within the organization’s domain and is handled under Workspace data-processing terms. Retention within the Gemini app is managed by administrators, who can configure auto-delete schedules at 3, 18, or 36 months, depending on their compliance requirements.
Gemini features also inherit existing Workspace protections, such as Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Information Rights Management (IRM), and Client-side Encryption (CSE). These tools allow administrators to control how content is accessed, inserted, or protected when Gemini is in use. For example, policies can be applied to restrict the insertion of sensitive data into Workspace documents or prevent access to protected content based on user permissions. These protections operate transparently and are enforced across Gemini's interaction layers when deployed in managed domains.
While Google provides a strong security and compliance infrastructure, it does not currently document any Gemini-specific clipboard or screenshot controls. In other words, there are no unique Gemini settings to disable copy/paste or prevent screenshots - these functions are governed through broader Workspace tools like DLP and IRM. Admins should rely on these established features to restrict sensitive data sharing or enforce compliance boundaries.
In regulated industries, Gemini is also aligned with frameworks such as the GDPR and HIPAA. Google’s Cloud Data Processing Addendum (CDPA) outlines data-handling terms that apply under GDPR. For healthcare settings, Gemini can be used in environments covered by a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA), provided that all necessary administrative, technical, and contractual safeguards are in place.
Gemini in Workspace respects your organization’s access controls and does not override existing data governance frameworks. When deployed in managed environments, Gemini integrates with security tools like DLP, IRM, and Client-side Encryption (CSE) to ensure that the assistant can only access or act upon data the user is permitted to handle. For example, if a Workspace file is encrypted or restricted under policy, Gemini will be unable to insert or interpret its content, and the user may see a limited or blocked response.
Administrators can also restrict Gemini’s availability across Workspace services. Using the Admin Console, features can be enabled or disabled on a per-service basis - for instance, turned on for Docs but off for Gmail. These controls can be applied by organizational unit (OU) or configuration group, giving admins flexible options to scope access. Device-based policies can further restrict Gemini to managed hardware, which is particularly relevant in virtual desktop (VDI) or shared-device environments.
For network-level control, Google provides a published list of hosts and domains used by Gemini. These can be referenced when setting firewall rules. However, Google advises against blocking Gemini endpoints at the domain level, since those endpoints may overlap with other critical Google services. Instead, feature-level disablement through Admin Console is recommended for safe and targeted restriction.
The sources do not currently document any special behavior for Gemini when accessing SSO or MFA pages, nor do they provide controls specific to internal custom web apps. Organizations looking to restrict Gemini’s use in sensitive contexts should rely on existing Workspace tools, such as context-aware access, DLP, IRM, CSE, and per-feature or device-level configuration in the Admin Console.
In the event of an issue with Gemini in Workspace, administrators should initiate a support request through the Workspace Admin Console. This is the primary channel for reporting service problems, requesting technical assistance, or escalating concerns. While submitting a case, admins can include contextual information about the issue and are encouraged to monitor the Workspace Status Dashboard for any service-wide outages or ongoing incidents that may impact Gemini functionality.
Google provides defined service-level response targets based on your support plan. Enhanced Support includes a one-hour response time for P1 issues, while Premium Support offers a 15-minute response window for P1 cases, with 24/7 coverage for high-severity cases. These targets refer specifically to support responsiveness and are distinct from service uptime guarantees outlined in Google’s Workspace SLA. The applicable SLA terms continue to apply during Gemini-related issues, and any service degradations are addressed through the standard Google escalation path.
If an urgent issue affects Gemini specifically, admins can immediately disable the Gemini app or individual features using the Admin Console. This acts as a temporary rollback mechanism or kill-switch, allowing your organization to halt Gemini usage while the issue is being triaged or resolved. Feature-level disablement can be applied by service and scoped by OU or group, offering precise control during high-severity events.
For post-incident investigation, administrators can use the Workspace Audit and Investigation Tool to review user actions, event logs, and session data related to the issue window. These records can be exported and included as evidence in support communications or internal compliance documentation.
Google publishes changes to Gemini's behavior through the official Gemini Release Notes page. This page provides a dated changelog of feature additions, modifications, and deprecations related to the assistant. Each entry is timestamped (for example, “2025.09.25”) and reflects publicly visible product changes. These release notes represent the authoritative source for tracking user-facing changes to Gemini’s behavior over time, including UI updates, availability shifts, and API-level adjustments.
In addition to feature-level release notes, Google also maintains timestamps on core help center documentation related to Gemini’s privacy and data usage. These “Last updated” markers reflect when policy or behavior documentation was most recently reviewed or revised. As of the latest version, the Gemini Apps Privacy Hub shows a last updated date of November 18, 2025, while the Generative AI in Google Workspace Privacy Hub was last updated on November 4, 2025. These pages define key terms around training, retention, permissions, and data boundaries.
Together, the Gemini Release Notes and Help Center update stamps provide visibility into both product behavior changes and underlying policy shifts. The release notes should be used when reviewing what has changed functionally, while the privacy pages indicate when Google last reviewed or amended its data-handling language.
