Quick Answer
Google does not offer a permanent switch to turn off AI Overview, but three reliable workarounds exist in 2026: the Web filter tab, the &udm=14 URL parameter, and browser extensions. The udm=14 method, set as a default search engine, comes closest to a permanent solution on desktop. On mobile, bookmarking tenbluelinks.org delivers the same effect without native configuration. All methods hide AI Overview — they do not disable the underlying system.
The single most reliable method: create a custom search engine in Chrome/Firefox/Edge pointing to https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14 and set it as default.
What is Google AI Overview and why do people want to turn it off?
Google AI Overview is the AI-generated summary box that appears above standard search results on many queries. Powered by a customized version of Gemini, it replaces the former Search Generative Experience (SGE) and launched globally in 2024.
Users want to disable AI Overview for three main reasons:
- Accuracy concerns. Well-publicized failures — including AI Overview recommending glue on pizza and rock consumption, both pulled from satirical Reddit posts — have damaged trust in AI-synthesized answers.
- Publisher displacement. The EU opened a formal antitrust investigation into Google’s use of publisher content for AI Overviews, examining whether web content was used without adequate compensation or opt-out mechanisms.
- Research workflow. Professionals making vendor, legal, or financial decisions often need original sources, not paraphrased summaries that may blend outdated and current information.
Can you permanently turn off AI Overview in Google?
No. As of April 2026, Google provides no universal setting that permanently disables AI Overview across all your devices and searches. Google controls what appears in search results from its own servers, not through your browser. Any method you use is technically a workaround that hides or bypasses the feature rather than disabling it server-side.
That said, the udm=14 method set as a default search engine comes within a hair’s breadth of a permanent fix on desktop — every search you run through that engine will bypass AI Overview automatically.
How do I turn off AI Overview using the Web filter?
This is the fastest method with no setup. Google introduced a Web filter tab in May 2024 that returns only traditional blue-link results.
Steps:
- Run any Google search normally.
- Below the search bar, find the filter tabs (All, Images, News, Shopping, etc.).
- Click “Web” — if you don’t see it, click “More” and select it from the dropdown.
- Your results now appear without AI Overview.
Limitation: You must click the Web tab for every new search. It resets each time. Use this method only for individual queries where you want clean results immediately.
How do I use the udm=14 trick to disable AI Overview?
The &udm=14 URL parameter achieves the same effect as the Web filter tab but can be automated by turning Google itself into a custom search engine in your browser.
Chrome setup (same process in Edge and Brave):
- Go to chrome://settings/searchEngines.
- Click “Add” next to “Site search.”
- Fill in:
- Name: Google (Web Only)
- Shortcut: any keyword you want
- URL: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
- Click the three dots next to the new entry and select “Make default.”
Firefox setup:
- Visit https://www.google.com/search?q=test&udm=14.
- Right-click in the address bar and select “Add a Keyword for this Search” (or use an extension like “Add custom search engine”).
- Set as default in Firefox’s Search Settings.
The udm=14 parameter has been stable since May 2024 and remains reliable in 2026. Because it operates at the URL level, Google backend updates do not typically break it.
What Chrome extensions hide AI Overview?
Browser extensions are the most accessible option for non-technical users. Popular extensions on the Chrome Web Store as of 2026 include:
- Hide Google AI Overviews — hides the AI Overview block entirely
- Bye Bye, Google AI — lightweight block-on-sight
- uBlacklist — can hide AI Overview plus blacklist domains
How to install:
- Open the Chrome Web Store.
- Search for “Hide Google AI Overviews.”
- Click “Add to Chrome” and confirm permissions.
- Reload any Google search to verify AI Overview no longer appears.
Known limitation: Extensions depend on Google’s current page structure. When Google changes HTML element IDs or class names, extensions can break overnight until the developer pushes an update. The udm=14 method is more structurally stable.
Security note: Only install extensions from publishers with visible update history and transparent permissions. Avoid any extension requesting access to data on all websites beyond Google’s domain.
How do I turn off AI Overview on mobile (iPhone and Android)?
Mobile options are more restricted than desktop because Chrome for iOS and Android don’t support full custom search engine configurations the way desktop Chrome does.
iPhone (Safari): Google serves fewer AI Overviews in Safari than in Chrome on iOS. Switching to Safari alone reduces the frequency noticeably. For complete bypass:
- Bookmark tenbluelinks.org on your home screen.
- Search through that bookmark — it automatically applies &udm=14 behind the scenes.
iPhone (Chrome for iOS): Chrome for iOS has limited search engine customization. Use tenbluelinks.org as a bookmark or switch to Safari.
Android (Chrome): Chrome for Android does not support adding custom search engines with parameters. Your options are:
- Bookmark tenbluelinks.org or udm14.com.
- Use Firefox for Android, which does support custom search engines. Add Google’s udm=14 URL as a search engine and set it as default.
Google app (iOS and Android): The Google app does not support disabling AI Overview. Use a browser instead.
Does signing out of Google reduce AI Overview?
Yes, partially. AI Overview uses account personalization signals — browsing history, search patterns, and engagement data — to decide when to trigger. Signing out or browsing incognito typically reduces how often AI Overview appears on your queries, though it does not eliminate it.
This is useful if you occasionally want cleaner results without configuring anything. It is not a complete bypass, but it pairs well with the Web filter tab for one-off clean searches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a way to turn off AI Overview permanently?
No. Google provides no permanent global toggle as of April 2026. The closest permanent-feeling solution is setting &udm=14 as your default search engine URL in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge, which automatically bypasses AI Overview on every search.
Does turning off AI Overview reduce search quality?
No. You receive the same organic web results — AI Overview is added on top of traditional results, not in place of them. Hiding it returns you to the classic Google experience with the same ranked pages.
Does the -AI trick still work?
Partially. Adding -AI at the end of a query (for example, fragrance sensitivity stores -AI) tells Google to exclude results mentioning “AI,” which often but not always suppresses the AI Overview panel. It is inconsistent compared to udm=14 but useful as a quick fix.
Can I turn off AI Overview only for certain queries?
Not natively. You can use the Web filter tab per-query, but there is no way to tell Google “never show AI Overview on medical queries” or similar category-level filtering.
Will Google eventually add an official off switch?
Unclear. Google has added AI Overview toggles in Search Labs at various points but has not committed to a permanent, universal off-switch in the main product. Monitor Google’s Search Central blog for announcements.
Key Takeaways
- No permanent switch exists. Google does not offer a global setting to disable AI Overview as of April 2026.
- The Web filter tab is the fastest one-off solution. Click “Web” under the search bar to see traditional results only.
- &udm=14 as a default search engine is the most reliable long-term method. It works across Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave on desktop.
- Browser extensions are the easiest install but depend on Google’s page structure and can break with backend updates.
- Mobile options are limited. iOS users should prefer Safari and bookmark tenbluelinks.org. Android users can switch to Firefox for full custom search engine support.
- Signing out reduces AI Overview frequency but does not eliminate it.
- All methods hide AI Overview — they do not disable the underlying system. Google still processes your queries through its AI infrastructure even when the summary box is suppressed in your results.
References
- Google Search Help: AI Overview documentation. https://support.google.com/websearch
- TenBlueLinks.org — Web-filter portal. https://tenbluelinks.org
- European Commission investigation into Google AI Overview publisher content (2025).
- Google Search Central Blog: Web filter announcement (May 2024).
