Gemini adds Personal Context and Temporary Chat

Google introduces Personal Context and a private Temporary Chat option in Gemini to boost personalization while promising privacy safeguards.

Google Gemini Expands With Personal Context and Temporary Chat

Google is rolling out two new features for the Gemini app. Personal Context lets Gemini learn from past conversations over time, aiming for more natural and relevant chats. The feature is enabled by default under a new Your past chats with Gemini toggle, and users can turn it off at any time. The rollout starts today with Gemini 2.5 Pro in select countries for all users, with broader availability in EEAs, the UK, and Switzerland in the weeks ahead.

Temporary Chat is a separate mode that lets users discuss ideas without affecting future chats. These sessions do not appear in history or Gemini Apps Activity and are not used to personalize Gemini or train Google’s AI models. They are kept for up to 72 hours to respond and collect feedback. Access is through a new outlined chat button in the side drawer, labeled Temporary chat.

In addition, Google is renaming Gemini Apps Activity to Keep Activity. This setting governs whether a sample of future uploads will be used to improve Google services. If the Gemini Apps Activity setting is off, Keep Activity stays off, and you can turn it on later. A new control also appears to decide whether audio, video and screens shared with Gemini are used to improve Google services, and that option remains off by default.

The updates reflect a clear push toward a more personalized digital assistant. By default enabling memory suggests Google bets on stronger user engagement and longer-term value from a tailored experience. Yet the same moves raise questions about privacy, data control, and how much of a user’s life is stored to improve services. The Temporary Chat feature adds a privacy-friendly space, but it still creates a data footprint that Google can access for a limited time. The renamed Keep Activity option signals a shift toward greater transparency about data use, while keeping safeguards in place with default-off controls for sensitive data. In markets where privacy rules are stricter, how these settings are explained and enforced will matter as much as the features themselves. The pace of rollout also shows Google testing the balance between convenience and consent across different regions and users.

Highlights

Time will tell how users value convenience versus control as Gemini grows