Google has just rolled out a new feature for its AI assistant, Gemini, that's basically an incognito mode for your conversations.
If you've ever wanted to ask an AI a question but felt a little weird about it being saved in your chat history forever then this update will make you happy!
It's called Temporary Chat, and it's part of a handful of new updates designed to give you more control over your privacy while also making Gemini a smarter, more personal assistant when you want it to be.
What is Temporary Chat on Google Gemini?
While Gemini isn't a doctor, psychiatrist, or marriage counsellor, many people use it as a starting point to get their thoughts organized before seeking out professional advice. This feature will certainly be helpful in these cases.
When you start a Temporary Chat, anything you discuss won't show up in your recent chats, won't be used to personalize your future Gemini experience, and won't be used to train Google's AI models.
It's a little vague how soon you'll be able to start using this. Google says it "starts rolling out today and will expand to all users over the coming weeks." So if it's not working for you initially try again in a few days.
How to Start a Temporary Chat on Google Gemini
Getting started is super simple. While the feature is rolling out over the next few weeks, here's how you'll be able to use it:
- Open the Gemini app on your phone.
- At the top of your screen, you'll see your current chat mode. Tap on it.
- From the menu that appears, simply select "Temporary Chat."
A new chat window will open, clearly marked so you know you're in a private session. That's it! You can now chat freely, knowing the conversation will vanish into the digital ether when you close it.
Why would you want to use Temporary Chat on Google Gemini?
Some stuff you just want to stay private. Temporary Chat helps you keep that privacy while getting info or brainstorming ideas for things that are on your mind:
- Explore sensitive topics: Get information on personal health or financial matters without it being tied to your account history.
- Plan surprises: Brainstorm gift ideas or party plans without leaving a digital trail for someone else to stumble upon.
- Ask anything, judgment-free: We all have those random, late-night questions. Now you can ask away without cluttering your chat history or influencing future recommendations.
Other New Gemini Features Introduced
While Temporary Chat is the star of the show for privacy lovers, Google also announced a few other updates to make Gemini smarter.
A Better Memory for Gemini
If you do want Gemini to be a more personalized assistant, it can now learn from your past (non-temporary) conversations. By default, Gemini will use your chat history to understand your preferences. For example, if you often ask for vegetarian recipes, it will learn to prioritize those in the future. You can turn this feature off at any time in your settings if you'd rather it didn't.
This feature isn't available in all countries yet (Canada is one of the countries it's not currently available), but hopefully that will expand soon. To see if it's available for you specifically, you can read more here.
More Control Over Your Data
Google is also making its data settings clearer. The "Gemini Apps Activity" setting is being renamed to "Keep Activity." If this is on, some of your data helps Google improve its services. If you're not comfortable with that, you can turn it off or just stick to using Temporary Chats for anything sensitive.
Hey Gemini
How do you use Gemini? In the early days I got it to help me make custom invitations for birthdays and special events. But now it's become more of a daily tool to help me organize my schedule, get advice on my financial state, and help me develop curriculums for things I want to learn about.
However you're using Google's AI tool, hopefully these updates will help you use it with more confidence, or at the very least, with a better sense of control with the info you're sharing with Gemini.
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