Gemini Personal Intelligence on Android Auto: how to turn it on or off
Starting October 20, 2026, Gemini on Android Auto can use Personal Intelligence, which lets it pull details from your Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Photos, Maps, YouTube and Search history to answer requests like “take me to my doctor’s appointment.” It’s opt-in and follows the setting in the Gemini app on your phone: if Personal Intelligence is on there, it works in the car. To stop it, disconnect apps in the Gemini app under Personal Intelligence > Connected Apps.
Google says cars with Google built-in get the feature “in the coming months.” Below: who is eligible, how to turn it on or off, what data it can reach while you drive, and why it may not show up yet.
Before you start
- Update the Gemini app and Android Auto on your phone from Google Play.
- You need a personal Google Account and must be 18 or older. Work, school and supervised accounts are excluded.
- The feature isn’t offered in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Nigeria.
- Keep Activity must be on in the Gemini app. Personal Intelligence doesn’t work with it off.
What’s new in Android Auto
Gemini has taken over from Google Assistant in Android Auto, and Google says it’s now available there worldwide. Until now it answered general questions and handled navigation, music and calls without knowing much about you. Google’s October 20 announcement adds Personal Intelligence, so Gemini can fill in details you’d otherwise have to say out loud. Google’s examples include:
- Asking for your flight’s gate and whether it’s on time in one request, using the booking email in Gmail.
- Navigating to a doctor’s appointment from your calendar without saying the address.
- Finding an indoor restaurant on your route that fits dietary preferences Gemini already knows.
- Finding a car wash you photographed last week and starting navigation to it.
- Navigating to a coffee shop someone mentioned in a conversation the day before.
Without Personal Intelligence, navigation, music, calls and general questions keep working. Answers just aren’t tailored to you.
Who can use it
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Account | Personal Google Account. Workspace business, enterprise and education accounts are excluded |
| Age | 18 or older |
| Region | Not available in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Nigeria |
| Gemini setting | Personal Intelligence turned on in the Gemini app, with Keep Activity on |
| Car | Android Auto now, in a gradual rollout. Cars with Google built-in in the coming months |
How to turn on Personal Intelligence for Android Auto
You set this up on your phone, not on the car screen.
- Open the Gemini app on your Android phone.
- If you’re eligible, a Personal Intelligence card appears. Tap Get started.
- Choose Connect all, Choose apps or Don’t connect. Pick Choose apps if you want Calendar and Maps help in the car but don’t want Gemini reading Photos or YouTube history.
- Connect your phone to the car. Google says the feature carries over from the Gemini app automatically.
If you already turned Personal Intelligence on in the Gemini app, you don’t need to do anything. It reaches Android Auto as the rollout gets to your account.
How to turn it off or limit what it reads
- Open the Gemini app and tap Menu.
- Tap your profile picture or initial.
- Tap Personal Intelligence.
- Tap Connected Apps.
- Turn off each app you don’t want Gemini to use: Contacts, Google Photos, Google Wallet, Google Workspace, Search services or YouTube.
As of October 20, neither Google’s announcement nor the Gemini help page on connected apps describes a separate switch that turns Personal Intelligence off only in the car. The phone setting decides it.
Disconnecting an app doesn’t erase what Gemini already learned from it. Google’s help page says you need to delete the related chats in Gemini Apps Activity or Recent chats and then disconnect the app; doing only one may not be enough.
What it can see while you drive
Google’s help page lists what each connected app shares with Gemini:
| Connected app | What Gemini can use |
|---|---|
| Google Workspace | Content from Gmail, Calendar, Drive and other Workspace services |
| Search services | Saved data from Search, Maps and Shopping |
| Google Photos | Photos, videos and insights derived from them (some countries only) |
| YouTube | Your YouTube History |
| Contacts | Google Contacts, device contacts and insights from them |
| Google Wallet | Payment methods, receipts and linked account details (US only) |
Gemini answers out loud in the car, so a passenger hears what it says about your calendar or emails. If you share rides for work or drive clients, consider leaving Workspace disconnected. On cars with Google built-in, Google says personal responses are shared only when you’re in the car with your phone connected.
For a wider look at what AI assistants keep, see our guide to keeping client data out of AI training. If you use Gmail’s newer AI features too, our Gmail AI Inbox guide covers how to show or hide them.
If it doesn’t show up
- The rollout is gradual. Google started on October 20, so many accounts won’t see it for days or weeks.
- Your account type is excluded. A Google Workspace account from your employer or school won’t get it.
- Keep Activity is off. Turn it on in the Gemini app if you want the feature.
- A supporting setting is off. Google’s help page says Search services need Web & App Activity, YouTube needs YouTube History, and Workspace needs smart features in other Google products. Google Photos also needs Face Groups with your face selected and Estimate missing locations turned on.
- You’re in an excluded region. EEA, Swiss, UK and Nigerian accounts don’t get it.
FAQ
Does Gemini still work in Android Auto without Personal Intelligence?
Yes. Navigation, music, calls and general questions work either way. Gemini just won’t use your emails, calendar or photos.
Can I turn it off only in the car?
Not as of October 20, according to Google’s announcement and help pages. The Gemini app setting on your phone applies to Android Auto too.
Is Personal Intelligence available in the UK or EU?
No. Google excludes the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the UK and Nigeria.
Does it work with a work Google account?
No. Workspace business, enterprise and education accounts are excluded.
How we checked this
We read Google’s October 20, 2026 announcement, the Gemini Apps Help page on connected apps and 9to5Google’s report on October 20. We haven’t tested the feature in a car, and Google may change menu labels as the rollout continues.
Next step: open Gemini > Menu > your profile > Personal Intelligence > Connected Apps before your next drive and turn off anything you don’t want read aloud in the car.
Related guides
Sources
- Google: Get hands-free personalized help on the road with Gemini (Oct 20, 2026)
- Gemini Apps Help: Connect your Google apps to personalize your Gemini experience
- Google: Personal Intelligence, connecting Gemini to Google apps
- 9to5Google: Gemini on Android Auto gets Personal Intelligence (Oct 20, 2026)
