Wondering how to get rid of AI Overview in Google Search? You cannot permanently turn off Google AI Overviews with a normal Google setting. But you can switch to Google’s Web filter to see text-based links without an AI Overview, or create a shortcut that opens that filtered view when you need it.
This guide explains the official method first, then shows a repeatable Chrome shortcut, practical Android and iPhone options, and what to check if AI-generated answers still appear. You can also use the free Web-only search launcher below without installing an extension.
How to Get Rid of AI Overview in Google: The Fastest Method
The simplest supported approach is to filter the results you are already viewing. You do not need a browser extension, a new Google account, or a special search command.
Run a Google search
Type your question into Google Search and open the results page.
Select Web
Choose the Web tab in the filters row. Look under More if Web is hidden.
Browse traditional links
The filtered view shows text-based web links rather than AI Overview summaries.
Key distinction: The Web filter is a results-page choice, not an AI Overview account setting. Selecting it does not guarantee Google will remember that choice for future searches. If you want fewer repetitive clicks, use the Chrome shortcut described below.
Can You Permanently Turn Off Google AI Overviews?
No universal off switch is available. Google describes AI Overviews as a core feature of Search. Its official guidance points users to the Web filter for text-based results, not to a setting that disables AI Overviews everywhere.
That difference matters if you see articles promising a hidden toggle. A browser customization may help you avoid AI Overviews in routine searches, but it does not switch off Google’s underlying feature for your Google account, other apps, or every search entry point.
AI Overview vs. AI Mode: They are not the same thing
An AI Overview is a generated summary that may appear within a normal Google Search results page. AI Mode is a separate conversational search experience. Choosing the Web filter addresses the former on a results page; it is not an AI Mode history or privacy control.
If your actual concern is saved AI Mode activity, our Google AI Mode history troubleshooting guide addresses that different issue.
How to Remove AI Overview From Routine Chrome Searches
On desktop Chrome, you can create a site search shortcut that opens Google’s Web-filtered results. This is a convenient workaround based on Chrome’s built-in custom site search feature, not an official account-wide Google AI setting.
- Open Chrome on your computer.
- Open Settings and select Search engine.
- Choose Manage search engines and site search.
- Under Site search, select Add.
- Enter the label, shortcut, and URL pattern shown below.
- Save the new shortcut. In Chrome’s address bar, type your shortcut (for example, @web), then activate it and enter a query.
- If your Chrome version and policy allow it, you may also see an option to make the new site search the default.
Google Web Results@webhttps://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14Here, %s is the placeholder Chrome replaces with your search term. The udm=14 parameter is used in Google Web-filter result URLs. Google may change URL behavior or browser controls, so treat this as a practical workaround rather than a permanent guarantee.
Google documents the Chrome setup fields in its official search engine and site search shortcuts guide.
If you cannot select Make default: That does not necessarily mean your shortcut is broken. Try using @web from the address bar instead. Availability of default-search controls can vary by browser version, profile, region, and managed-device policies.
How to Remove AI Overview on Android and iPhone
The most dependable cross-device method is still Google’s Web filter. Mobile browsers and the Google app can place filters in different spots, so follow the visible Search interface rather than relying on an identical set of buttons across every device.
Android: Google app or Chrome
- Open Google Search from Chrome or the Google app.
- Search for a topic.
- Find the search-filter row beneath the search field and look for Web; check More if necessary.
- Select Web to view text-based search results.
- For repeat use, save a Web-filter search URL as a browser bookmark, or return to the launcher on this page.
iPhone and iPad: Safari or Chrome
- Open google.com in Safari or Chrome.
- Search as usual and select Web from the available search filters.
- If the filter is not visible at first, check the remaining filters or More.
- Bookmark the filtered results or this article if you want a quick way back.
Do not confuse Chrome’s mobile search-engine picker with desktop Chrome’s custom site-search feature. The mobile picker generally offers supported search providers; it does not expose identical custom shortcut controls. See Google’s Android Chrome guidance for its documented settings.
Google Web Filter vs. Browser Shortcuts vs. Extensions
Choose the least complicated approach that fits how you search. None of these options disables AI Overviews across every Google surface.
| Method | Best for | What it actually does | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web filter | Anyone, desktop or mobile | Shows Google’s text-based Web results | May need to be selected for each search |
| Chrome site search | Regular desktop Chrome users | Opens the Web-filter result URL for your query | Custom shortcut and default controls vary |
| Web-filter bookmark | Mobile users who prefer quick access | Reopens a previously saved filtered search | The saved URL may contain an old query |
| Browser extension | People comfortable evaluating add-ons | May hide or modify elements on result pages | Permissions, upkeep, and reliability vary |
| Add -AI to a query | Not recommended as a dependable solution | Changes the search query, not a documented AI toggle | Cannot be relied on to remove AI Overviews |
Our recommendation: Start with Google’s own Web filter. Add the built-in Chrome shortcut if you regularly search on a desktop. Consider extensions only when you understand the permissions requested and have a specific need the built-in methods do not meet.
Try the Google Web-Only Search Launcher
Enter a normal search query and open it directly in Google’s text-based Web results view. This form submits your query to Google, not to a Designs24hr search server. No extension or account is needed to use this shortcut.
Opens a new tab on google.com. Your search term is included in the URL sent to Google and is subject to Google’s policies and account settings. Avoid entering sensitive personal data. Availability of the Web filter and URL behavior can change.How the launcher works
Normally, a Google Search URL contains a query parameter such as q=your+question. The launcher also submits udm=14, which selects Google’s Web results view in the URL format currently used for that filter. The form is a convenience shortcut: it does not change your Google account, disable AI features, or intercept your search.
Why Some Ways to Turn Off AI Overview Do Not Work
1. Turning off Search Labs experiments
Disabling an experiment does not necessarily remove an AI Overview that Google provides as part of regular Search. Google’s core AI Overviews feature is separate from optional experiments. Check which feature a setting actually controls before assuming that it has disabled every AI-generated answer.
2. Adding -AI after your search
A search operator changes what Google searches for. -AI is not an official universal control for AI Overviews. Even if a particular query displays no summary, that does not prove the feature was disabled for future results. Use the Web filter for a documented method.
3. Switching from Chrome to another browser
AI Overviews are part of Google Search, not simply a Chrome browser overlay. Opening the same Google results in Firefox, Edge, or Safari does not, by itself, disable the feature.
4. Installing the first extension you find
Some extensions attempt to hide or filter AI Overview elements. Before installing one, review its publisher, update history, privacy information, and requested website permissions. Extensions can stop working as search-page layouts change. Avoid add-ons that request broader access than their function reasonably needs.
5. Clearing browsing history or AI Mode history
Deleting browser history or AI Mode conversations is a separate activity-management task. It does not operate as an AI Overview off switch. If you need to remove saved conversations, see our AI Mode history removal guide.
How to Check Whether You Are Viewing Web-Only Results
If Google still shows an AI-generated panel, check the result type before assuming your method failed.
- Confirm that you are viewing google.com search results, not a separate AI Mode page or a browser assistant.
- Check whether Web is the currently selected search filter.
- If using the Chrome shortcut, verify that the URL template includes udm=14 and that the shortcut was actually activated.
- Retry the same ordinary search using the Web filter manually. This helps distinguish a shortcut setup error from changes in Google’s interface.
- Do not treat an empty AI Overview on one query as proof that AI Overviews were permanently switched off.
One more distinction: Choosing text-based web results does not guarantee those websites are accurate, that Google stops collecting search activity, or that every result is useful. For important factual claims, use our step-by-step AI answer fact-checking guide and evaluate the original sources directly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google AI Overviews
Can I turn off Google AI Overviews permanently?
No general setting currently disables the core AI Overviews feature everywhere. For text-based results without AI Overviews, select the Web filter after searching.
How do I get rid of AI Overview in Chrome?
Use Google’s Web filter on the results page. On desktop Chrome, you can also add a site search shortcut using the URL template https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14 to open Web-filtered results more conveniently.
Does Google have an AI Overview off button?
Google’s official guidance does not provide a universal off button for the core Search feature. Search Labs switches may control experiments, but should not be confused with a permanent setting for all AI Overviews.
How do I remove AI Overview on an iPhone or Android device?
Open a Google search, choose Web in the filters row (or under More), and browse the text-link results. You can bookmark the filtered view or use the launcher on this page for repeat searches.
What does udm=14 mean in a Google Search URL?
It is a URL parameter commonly used for Google’s Web-filtered search results. It can be used in a Chrome custom site search or search-link shortcut. It is not an account-level preference or a promise that Google will keep the same behavior forever.
Does adding -AI remove AI Overviews?
It is not a reliable or officially documented AI Overview disable switch. The presence or absence of a summary on one query does not confirm a permanent change.
Is Google AI Mode the same as an AI Overview?
No. An AI Overview is a summary that may be shown in standard Search results; AI Mode is a more conversational Google search experience. Their interfaces and history controls are different.
Does Web-only search improve privacy or stop tracking?
Not by itself. The Web filter changes how Google displays results, not the Google Account’s privacy or search-history settings. Review Google’s privacy and Search activity controls separately.
The Best Way to Search Google Without AI Overviews
To get rid of AI Overview in Google results, select Web whenever you want traditional text-based links. If you use desktop Chrome regularly, consider the built-in site search shortcut to make that view easier to reach. There is no need to install an extension just to use Google’s Web filter.
For other ways to manage AI-generated information and your account controls, continue with these Designs24hr guides:
Official sources and further reading
- Google Search Help: Find information with AI Overviews — Google explains the Web filter and why the core feature cannot be turned off.
- Google Chrome Help: Set default search engine and site search shortcuts — official desktop Chrome shortcut instructions.
Editorial note: This guide distinguishes Google’s documented settings from convenience workarounds. Search interfaces and filter URL formats may change. Instructions are based on published documentation, not a claim that every device or browser version was personally tested.
