Google Gemini with Memory: a more personal, private assistant

Introduction

Google Gemini with memory moves the assistant beyond one-off replies: when enabled, memory uses key details from your past chats so responses become more natural and relevant. The update pairs continuous personalization with Temporary Chats for ephemeral sessions and clearer data controls.

Context

Google's intent is an assistant that understands your preferences over time. Memory aims to make repeated interactions smoother: for example, suggesting a birthday party idea tied to a favorite character you mentioned, recommending books aligned with summaries you requested, or proposing YouTube ideas that match your previous brainstorms.

The Challenge

Main challenges are balancing usefulness with privacy and letting users manage what is remembered. Some conversations should remain one-off and not affect future interactions.

Solution / Approach

Key elements introduced:

• Personal context: a setting that lets Gemini learn from past conversations to provide more tailored responses. It’s on by default but can be turned off in Settings → Personal context → Your past chats with Gemini.
• Temporary Chats: one-off chats that don’t appear in recent chats or Gemini Apps Activity and are not used to personalize Gemini or train models. They persist for up to 72 hours for responses and feedback.
• New data controls: "Gemini Apps Activity" will be renamed "Keep Activity"; when on, a sample of uploads may be used to improve Google services. If off, data won’t be used this way. The control for audio/video shared via mic or Gemini Live is off by default.

How to use it

1. Enable/disable memory: Gemini → Settings → Personal context → Your past chats with Gemini.
2. Use Temporary Chat for private or exploratory conversations to prevent them influencing future replies.
3. Manage service-improvement usage via Keep Activity settings.

Benefits and limits

• Benefits: more context-aware suggestions, faster workflows, personalized ideas.
• Limits: personalization initially rolls out to specific models and countries (e.g., 2.5 Pro) and expands over time; Keep Activity controls whether uploads are sampled for improvement.

FAQ

• Can I turn off memory?
  Yes. Go to Settings → Personal context → Your past chats with Gemini and disable it.
• What are Temporary Chats?
  They are ephemeral chats that won’t appear in recent chats or activity and aren’t used to personalize or train models; retained up to 72 hours.
• What is Keep Activity?
  The renamed Gemini Apps Activity; when on, a sample of uploads may be used to improve Google services; when off, they are not used for that purpose.
• Are audio/video shared with Gemini used for training?
  There’s a separate control for audio/video shared via the mic or Gemini Live; it’s off by default and can be enabled if you consent.