this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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Privacy

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Starting today, Gemini AI will access your WhatsApp and more. Learn how to disable it on Android. (tuta.com)
submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Gemini AI needs to be disabled on Android or it will override your privacy settings and gain full access to your texts, calls, and WhatsApp - even if you’ve turned off Gemini Apps Activity.

Google recently started notifying users via email that from July 7th, 2025, its AI model, Gemini, will assist apps on Android like WhatsApp, messages, and phone. Simply put, Gemini will get access to your apps even if you previously turned tracking for Gemini Apps Activity off. Soon the AI tool will be able to run tasks like send WhatsApp messages, set timers, and even make calls – regardless of whether you previously told Google’s Gemini not to track you. We take a look at how you can disable Gemini on Android from accessing your phone’s services, using your data for AI, and how to take back your privacy.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Unfortunately no, I use a cheap xiaomi phone as a daily driver.

Yes, Xiaomi phones are the worst when it comes to privacy. Fortunately, it has communities and many custom roms. I just need to install the custom rom without installing gapps.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Have you had any luck unlocking the bootloader without a windows computer to execute the xiaomi unlock tool on?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

No, I never tried running it on Linux, I don't think it would work well with Wine. Because the unlocking tool requires access to USB port.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Thats why i have gone with cheap sony devices for lineage os. For Calyx and graphene the list is much shorter ofcourse, but those are all simple to unlock.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

If your device has an MTK chip, and it is supported, you can disable the bootloader without any software from Xiaomi. It's called MTK client.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

now that is interesting. I assume MTK here means "MediaTek"?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

yup that's right, I have a Redmi 9A that uses the MTK chip. I can unlock the bootloader in a few minutes and I don't have to wait weeks to unlock the bootloader.