To turn off Galaxy AI features, open Settings → Galaxy AI (on some models Settings → Advanced features → Galaxy AI), tap a feature such as Call assist or Writing assist, and switch it off. To keep AI processing on your phone, turn on Process data only on device in the same menu; features that need Samsung’s cloud then stop working.
You can’t uninstall Galaxy AI, but nothing breaks when you switch features off, and you can turn any of them back on later.
We use a Samsung Galaxy phone ourselves, and the steps below follow Samsung’s own support pages. Samsung notes that the feature list and menu names vary by model and One UI version, so if a name on your phone is slightly different, look for the closest match.
Why you might turn off Galaxy AI features
- Privacy: some features send what you type, say or photograph to cloud servers to process it. Samsung says personal data isn’t stored long-term or used for AI training, but you may simply prefer it never leaves the phone.
- Fewer interruptions: suggestion pop-ups, the Now brief and the Now bar disappear if you don’t use them.
- Battery: most Galaxy AI tools only run when you use them, so expect a small difference at most.
How to turn off Galaxy AI features one by one
- Open Settings and tap Galaxy AI. On some models, tap Advanced features first, then Galaxy AI (older software may call it Advanced intelligence).
- You’ll see a list of AI features, such as Call assist, Writing assist, Note assist, Photo assist, Browsing assist and Transcript assist.
- Tap a feature, then turn off the switch for each tool inside it you don’t use. Some features have several separate switches.
- Go back and repeat for the next feature.
- Restart the phone. Samsung recommends this so the changes take effect.
Features you switch off inside each app
Samsung says some AI tools are controlled from the settings of the app that uses them, not the Galaxy AI menu. If a feature isn’t in the list, open the app’s own settings: Phone, Samsung Notes, Camera, Gallery, Samsung Messages, Samsung Health or SmartThings. A few AI functions are built into the system and can’t be turned off at all.
Keep your data on the phone: Process data only on device
This is Samsung’s master switch for cloud processing. Open Settings → Galaxy AI and turn on Process data only on device. Galaxy AI then only uses features that can run on the phone’s own chip, and nothing is sent to Samsung’s servers for them.
The trade-off is that cloud-based features stop working. Samsung’s FAQ lists auto formatting, auto summarizing, auto corrections and image editing as cloud-based, and says most translation runs on the phone. Generative edits in Photo assist also use the cloud for heavier edits.
Which Galaxy AI features use the cloud?
| Feature | Where to find it | On-device or cloud | Turn off if… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live translate, Interpreter (Call assist) | Settings → Galaxy AI → Call assist / Interpreter | On-device (Samsung) | You never call or chat across languages |
| Writing assist / Chat assist | Settings → Galaxy AI → Writing assist | Mostly cloud (formatting, corrections) | You don’t want typed text processed in the cloud |
| Note assist (summaries, formatting) | Settings → Galaxy AI → Note assist | Cloud for summaries and formatting | You don’t summarize notes |
| Photo assist (generative edit) | Settings → Galaxy AI → Photo assist | On-device and cloud | You don’t edit photos with AI |
| Audio eraser | Gallery → Edit → Audio | On-device (Samsung) | Rarely needed; it only runs when you use it |
| Browsing assist (web summaries) | Settings → Galaxy AI → Browsing assist | Cloud | You don’t summarize pages in Samsung Internet |
| Now brief | Settings → Galaxy AI → Now brief | Uses data from your apps; some content needs internet | You don’t read the daily brief |
| Circle to Search | Navigation bar settings (Google feature) | Google’s cloud | You never circle things to search |
Turn off Galaxy AI on the lock screen: Now brief and Now bar
Two Galaxy AI features show up on the lock screen, and they’re managed in different places:
- Now brief: open Settings → Galaxy AI → Now brief. Turn off Show Now brief while phone is locked, or use Content to include to remove topics such as health, travel or memories.
- Now bar: open Settings → Lock screen and AOD (or Lock screen) → Now bar, then turn off the categories you don’t want.
- Lock the phone and check the lock screen shows only what you chose.
Circle to Search and Gemini are Google features
Two of the AI tools on a Galaxy aren’t Samsung’s, so the Galaxy AI switches and Process data only on device don’t control them.
- Circle to Search opens when you touch and hold Home or the navigation handle. It always needs the internet, what you circle is sent to Google, and your searches are saved with your other Google searches. To turn it off, look in the navigation bar settings (Settings → Display → Navigation bar).
- Gemini opens when you press and hold the side button. To stop that, go to Settings → Advanced features → Side button and set Press and hold to Power off menu. Gemini’s privacy settings, like Keep Activity, live in the Gemini app. See how to use Gemini on Android.
What turning features off doesn’t do
- It doesn’t uninstall anything. Galaxy AI is part of One UI, so the features stay on the phone, just switched off.
- It doesn’t delete data. Check your Samsung account and Google account privacy settings for anything already stored, such as Circle to Search history.
- It doesn’t change Gemini or other third-party AI apps. For those, see our AI privacy settings guide.
- It won’t fix bigger battery problems. If battery life dropped after an update, start with One UI 9 battery drain settings.
Samsung Health has its own AI training switch
Separate from Galaxy AI, Samsung Health added a consent switch in mid-2026 that lets Samsung use your health data to train its AI features. After confusion over the warning text, Samsung clarified in July 2026 that if you opt out, only health data kept specifically for AI training is deleted, and normal tracking and syncing keep working. If you’d rather not share health data for training, leave it off.
Our take
Turning features off is low-risk because everything can be switched back on in seconds. A sensible approach is to keep the on-device tools you actually use, such as live translation, and switch off cloud features you never touch. Want new features instead? See the best One UI 9 features or browse the Android hub.
FAQ
Will turning off Galaxy AI save battery?
Possibly a little, mostly from features that run in the background like Now brief. Most Galaxy AI tools only work when you use them, so don’t expect a big change.
Can I uninstall Galaxy AI?
No. The features are built into One UI. You can switch each one off in Settings → Galaxy AI or in the app that uses it, and Samsung notes a few system AI functions can’t be turned off.
Does Samsung use my data to train its AI?
Samsung says personal data used by Galaxy AI is never stored long-term or used for AI training, whether it’s processed on the phone or in the cloud. Samsung Health has a separate AI training consent you can leave off.
Is Galaxy AI free?
Samsung says the basic Galaxy AI features it provides are free. Samsung’s enhanced AI features and third-party AI features have their own terms and may cost money.
Does Process data only on device turn off Gemini and Circle to Search?
No. Those are Google features with their own settings. The switch only covers Samsung’s Galaxy AI processing.
Sources
- Use features with Galaxy AI on your Galaxy phone and tablet — Samsung US Support
- Your Privacy, Secured: How Galaxy AI Empowers You to Take Control of Your Data — Samsung Newsroom
- How to use Gemini on your Galaxy phone or tablet — Samsung US Support
- Samsung clarifies Samsung Health AI training consent — Android Authority
