Gemini Temporary Chats: Google Testing Prominent New Placement

March 19, 2026 Rachel Kim – Technology Editor Technology

Google is testing a redesigned interface for its Gemini application that would place the “Temporary chat” feature more prominently for users, according to a report from 9to5Google published Tuesday. Currently, initiating a temporary chat—a function designed to prevent conversations from being saved or used to personalize the AI’s responses—requires navigating through the app’s side menu.

The potential change would move the temporary chat icon to the main Gemini app view, positioned directly to the left of the user’s profile avatar. Selecting the icon would be visually confirmed with a blue highlight, and the standard Gemini interface elements would be replaced with a brief explanation of the feature’s function, including a modified text box prompting users to “Inquire in a temporary chat.”

Google first introduced Temporary Chats in August 2025, as a privacy control allowing users to engage with the AI without contributing to its learning models. According to Google, conversations initiated through Temporary Chats are not saved in a user’s recent chats and are not used to train Gemini. However, the company has stated that these chats are retained for 72 hours before being permanently deleted.

The move to highlight Temporary Chats comes as Google expands personalization features within Gemini. The company recently made its “Personal Intelligence” feature available to free-tier users, allowing the AI to learn from past conversations to provide more tailored responses. This expansion of personalization options may be driving the effort to ensure users are aware of, and can easily access, privacy-focused alternatives.

A Reddit thread from February 2026 indicated some users were experiencing difficulty locating the Temporary Chat feature, particularly those on Google Workspace accounts where chat controls are managed at the organizational level. Google support documentation from April 2025 acknowledged that a temporary chat option was not available in the web version of Gemini, suggesting users manage their “Gemini Apps Activity” as an alternative.

The test is currently running on a limited number of Gemini accounts, and Google has not announced a timeline for a wider rollout. The change is being tested on both the mobile app and the website versions of Gemini.