Google is adding a temporary chat feature to Gemini. The equivalent of a browser’s incognito mode, it lets you have one-off AI chats. They won’t appear in your history, influence future chats or be used for training.
The temporary chats will be saved for up to 72 hours. Google says this is to give you time to revisit the chat or provide feedback. The feature begins rolling out today and will continue to do so over the coming weeks.
It arrives alongside a new setting that does, well, pretty much the opposite. The Gemini app can now learn from your conversations and remember details and preferences. It may then reference them in future chats. (For example, it might recall a hobby you once mentioned when you later ask it for party theme ideas.)
Google added the past chats feature to Gemini Advanced earlier this year. ChatGPT and Claude each have a similar memory option.
The memory setting is on by default, so you’ll want to tweak your privacy settings as soon as it arrives if you don’t want to use it. In the Gemini app, head to Settings > Personal context > Your past chats with Gemini to change it.
Screenshots in the Gemini app (phone and tablet), showing personal context settings.
(Google)
Speaking of settings, Google is changing the name of its data-retention toggle. What was once “Gemini Apps Activity” is now labeled as “Keep Activity.” Despite the semantic change, your previous setting will stick, so you shouldn’t need to change this one.
Personalized conversations will first launch with Gemini 2.5 Pro in “select countries.” It will make its way to 2.5 Flash and more regions in the weeks ahead.
