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AI OverviewsPATCH 2026.10.27

How to Turn Off Google’s AI Overviews (and Get Text-Only Results)

By VGSources Team 8 min read

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You cannot permanently disable standard Google AI Overviews with a documented account setting. Google Search Help says that features cannot be turned off. The official way to avoid an Overview is to run your search, then choose Web (or More > Web when it is hidden). That filter loads a text-link results page for that search only. Search Labs has a separate AI in Search experiment switch, but turning it off is not a guaranteed block on every standard Overview. Third-party URL rules and browser extensions can automate a text-only view, although they require extra trust and may stop working after Google changes Search.

What is the quickest way to turn off a Google AI Overview?

Search normally, then select Web in the results filter row. If Web is not visible, open More and choose Web. Google describes this view as text-based links without features such as AI Overviews. It is a per-results-page choice, not a permanent account-wide preference.

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Desktop steps on Windows or macOS

  1. Open Google Search in your browser and submit your query.
  2. In the filter row below the search box, select Web. Select More, then Web, if the filter is not shown directly.
  3. Read the resulting text-link page. You may need to repeat the selection for your next search because Google does not document a lasting switch for standard Overviews.

Android phone or tablet

  1. Run the search in a mobile browser or in the Google app.
  2. Tap Web in the result filters. If it is missing, tap More, then Web.
  3. Use that Web results page for the links you want. The choice applies to that search rather than changing your account permanently.

iPhone or iPad

  1. Search at Google.com in a browser or use the Google app.
  2. Tap Web; use More > Web if necessary.
  3. Continue from the text-link results page. Repeat the action after starting another search.

Can I permanently disable AI Overviews?

Not through a Google-documented account control for standard AI Overviews. Google Search Help’s wording is direct: “Features cannot be turned off.” That means a setting in Search preferences, account personalization, or search history should not be presented as a universal disable switch.

The Web filter is therefore a viewing mode, not an opt-out. It changes the current results page to text links, but Google has not documented a preference that automatically forces every future query into that mode. A browser may also open a normal results page when you start a new search, so seeing an Overview again does not mean your previous selection failed.

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What does Search Labs’ “AI in Search” switch do?

Search Labs can expose an experimental AI in Search feature. A signed-in user with Incognito turned off can open Labs > Manage and toggle that experiment off. This controls the Labs experiment; it does not establish that all standard AI Overviews are disabled.

How to change the Labs experiment

  1. Sign in to the Google account participating in Search Labs and make sure Incognito is off.
  2. Open Labs, then choose Manage.
  3. Find AI in Search and switch it off.
  4. Run a fresh search and use Web if an Overview still appears.

Labs availability can vary by account, country, device, and experiment status. Do not confuse this control with AI Overviews, AI Mode, or Audio Overviews; those are separate Search experiences and the Labs switch is not a promise that each one disappears.

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Which method should you use?

The options differ in persistence, platform coverage, official status, and the amount of trust you place in outside software.

Method Persistence Platforms Official status Setup and trade-offs
Web filter One results page at a time Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad Google’s documented control No installation or permissions; must be selected again for later searches.
Labs > Manage > AI in Search While the experiment remains off Signed-in Search Labs participants; availability varies Google experiment setting Requires sign-in and Incognito off; does not guarantee removal of standard Overviews.
udm=14 URL Can be automated in a configured search template Most useful in desktop Chromium browsers; behavior depends on browser Third-party workaround More setup; Google can change URL behavior or results routing.
“Bye Bye, Google AI” extension Automatic while installed and working Chrome-compatible desktop browsers, subject to listing support Third party It hides page blocks with CSS; review permissions, maintenance, and privacy before installing.

How does the udm=14 workaround work?

9to5Google reports that adding udm=14 to a Google Search URL routes the request to the Web filter. On a desktop Chromium browser, you can make that URL the search template so searches are sent through the text-link view automatically. This is not a Google account preference, and it may break if Google changes its URL parameters or Search interface.

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Use it for a single search

  1. Run a Google search.
  2. In the address bar, add &udm=14 to the existing search URL (or use ?udm=14 when no query parameter is present).
  3. Load the edited address and confirm that the result is the Web-style text-link page.

URL formats can change, so treat this as a convenience rather than a supported guarantee. If it returns an ordinary page or an error, remove the parameter and use the visible Web filter.

Make it a Chromium search-template rule

Chromium-based browsers let you add a custom search engine in their search-engine settings. The exact menu wording varies by browser version. Configure the Google URL template so the query placeholder is retained and udm=14 is included, then set that entry as the default. Test it with a harmless query before relying on it. A browser update or Google redesign can invalidate the template, and the setting normally applies only to that browser profile.

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Can a browser extension hide AI Overviews?

A third-party extension such as “Bye Bye, Google AI,” named in a 9to5Google report, can hide AI Overviews and other Search-page blocks by removing their CSS. That produces a cleaner page when the extension is active, but it does not change what Google generated on the server and it is not an official opt-out.

  • Check the extension’s current store listing, publisher, update date, and requested permissions before installing.
  • Understand whether it can read or modify data on Google Search pages; that access is necessary for page hiding but has privacy implications.
  • Expect breakage after a Search redesign, a browser policy change, or an extension update.
  • Disable or remove it if pages load incorrectly, results disappear, or the extension stops being maintained.

Availability and permissions can change. Do not assume that an extension found under a similar name is the same project described in the report.

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Why does the Web filter keep coming back?

Because Web is a per-search filter. Selecting it changes the current results page; it does not set a permanent account preference. Starting a new query, opening a new tab, switching accounts, or using another device can return you to the default Search view, where an Overview may appear again.

What to check when Web is missing

  • Look in the horizontal filter row and open More; Google may place Web there when the row is crowded.
  • Use the Google Search website or app rather than a page embedded inside another service.
  • Reload the results after the search finishes, then check the filter row again.
  • If a Labs experiment is involved, verify that you are signed in to the intended account and that Incognito is off.
  • On a managed work or school device, browser policies can alter available extensions or Search behavior; use the Web filter instead of installing unapproved software.

Do search history or personalization settings turn Overviews off?

There is no documented evidence in Google’s Search Help guidance that deleting search history, pausing personalization, or changing ad settings disables standard AI Overviews. Those controls affect other aspects of your Search experience and should not be used as a promised fix for this specific feature.

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If your goal is simply to avoid the generated summary, choose Web after each search. If your goal is to report a bad result, use the Overview’s thumbs-down control or its three-dot menu; that sends feedback but does not disable the feature.

What should you do when an Overview is inaccurate?

Google labels an Overview as an AI-generated snapshot with links for further exploration and warns, “AI responses may include mistakes.” Treat it as a starting point rather than the final authority, especially for health, safety, legal, financial, gaming-account, or rapidly changing information.

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  1. Open the supporting links shown in the Overview and read the original pages.
  2. Run the same query in the Web view to compare several text results.
  3. Check a second authoritative source and confirm the publication date, region, and version relevant to your question.
  4. Use the thumbs-down or three-dot feedback control when the summary is inaccurate, biased, unhelpful, or otherwise problematic.

Google also says interactions with Search and these AI experiences may be used to develop and improve generative AI. Its guidance describes account disconnection and automated removal of identifying or sensitive information in workflows involving trained reviewers. Avoid entering unnecessary personal or confidential details into Search.

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How do I get the old “ten blue links” layout?

Choose Web on each results page. It is the closest official route to a text-first page of traditional links, but it is not a promise that every historical element of the old interface returns. Ads, local results, images, shopping modules, and other Search features can still vary by query, location, language, device, and account.

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For a more automatic desktop workflow, a udm=14 search template or a maintained page-hiding extension may reduce manual taps. Both are third-party approaches: test them regularly and keep the Web filter as the reliable fallback.

What is the practical answer for each device?

Device Best first action If it is unavailable
Windows or macOS Run the query, then select Web. Choose More > Web; optionally configure udm=14 in a Chromium search template.
Android phone or tablet Tap Web after searching in the app or a browser. Tap More > Web; use Labs only for its experiment, not as a universal block.
iPhone or iPad Tap Web in Google.com or the Google app. Tap More > Web; repeat for each new query.

What should you remember?

  • Standard AI Overviews have no documented permanent off switch.
  • Web, or More > Web, is Google’s official per-search way to view text links without the Overview.
  • Labs > Manage > AI in Search applies to an experiment and is not a guaranteed universal disable control.
  • udm=14 and extensions can automate the workaround but may change or fail.
  • Verify important claims against the linked sources and additional results because AI responses can be wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does blocking JavaScript remove Google AI Overviews?

It is not a dependable solution. Google’s results page can change, and disabling scripts may also remove navigation, filters, accessibility features, or result interactions; the supported alternative remains the Web filter.

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Will the Web filter work when I am signed out?

The Web filter is a results-page option and generally does not require Search Labs participation. Labs controls, by contrast, require the relevant signed-in account and have their own eligibility conditions.

Can I hide AI Overviews only for certain searches?

Yes. Select Web only on queries where you want text links, then leave the default view for other searches. Because the choice is per results page, it does not alter how unrelated searches load.

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Are AI Overviews the same as Google’s AI Mode?

No. They are separate Search experiences. Avoiding an Overview with Web does not automatically disable AI Mode, Audio Overviews, or another experiment that Google may present through a different control.

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AI OverviewsGoogle SearchHow-ToprivacySearch LabsWeb filter

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