You can force Gemini to forget about you now – how to edit its Memory

ZDNET’s key takeaways

- Gemini now lets you view and edit its memories of you.

- With Memory summary, you can add or remove specific details.

- This is available at the Gemini website and in the mobile and desktop apps.

Like any AI, Google Gemini wants to remember things about you. The purported reason is to help tailor and personalize your conversations. But remember that your personal details may also wind up training the AI or even being reviewed by actual humans. With that in mind, you might want to find out just what Gemini knows about you. And now you can.

Also: I tested Gemini Spark – another Google AI fail, or its next dark horse?

With a new option called Memory summary, you’re able to view the details that Gemini has gathered about you over time. These may be tidbits from your conversations or things that you directly told the AI. Even better, you can add or remove any details just by editing the memory or issuing your request directly to Gemini.

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How view and edit Gemini’s memory summary

Here’s how it works.

Launch Gemini via the web or in one of the mobile or desktop apps. In the left pane displaying your previous chats, select the Settings icon at the bottom. At the Settings screen, select Personal Intelligence and then click or tap Memory summary. If the option is grayed out, it means the Memory feature is turned off. To proceed, turn it back on. You can always turn if off again afterward if you wish.

You’ll then see the individual details by category. My summary arranged the information across such categories as Essentials, Business & Career, Reading & Interests, and Culinary Preferences. Go down the list to see the individual items in each category. To view a recent history, tap the three dot-icon at the top and select Memory history. This shows you the latest changes and updates to Gemini’s memory.

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What if Gemini’s memory includes details that are too personal or just incorrect? No problem. You can alter the AI’s memories of you. At the website or in one of the desktop apps, click the pencil icon at the top. Now you’re able to directly edit the text to add, remove, or revise specific details. After you’ve made your changes, just click Save.

How I used Memory summary

For example, my summary said that that I lived in Madison County. I have no idea where Gemini got that notion as I live in New York. Here, I revised the text and saved the changes, which then synced across the Gemini website and apps.

The mobile apps have no direct editing capability. But there’s another method that works both on mobile and on the desktop. Just tell Gemini what change you want to make. At the prompt, type and speak your request, and the AI will carry it out for you.

Also: The best and worst AI for your privacy, ranked

As an example, my summary said that I run a business called Batter Up selling collectible baseball cards. That’s not at all true. I had once referred to such a store only to test Gemini’s image creation skills to design a logo for a baseball card seller. Here, I simply told Gemini that I don’t run a business called Batter Up and asked it to remove that item from its memory. Poof, that detail quickly disappeared.

Google isn’t exactly known as being privacy friendly, and that extends to Gemini. In this case, though, I give the company credit for offering this easy way to control the AI’s memories. I do find the memory feature useful as it recalls details about me that help personalize and direct its responses. But I don’t like Gemini or Google knowing too much about me. Now I can keep memory enabled and just control what it remembers about me.