How Parents can Disable AI Features on their kid’s Web Browsers
Parents can use parental controls and device-level restrictions to disable AI on web browsers.
A common question we’re asked by parents is whether it’s possible to disable AI features on their child’s web browser. While AI features have some basic guardrails, parents may not be comfortable with their child being able to interact with or use generative AI tools at all. Nowadays, most web browsers come packaged with AI features that are enabled by default, and it’s often not straightforward to disable them completely. Fortunately, parents can consider a few different approaches that can completely disable all AI features in a variety of web browser apps and applications.
The exact approach we recommend will depend on the type of device your child has, since some options are platform-specific. Parents might consider using a shared computer instead of a smartphone for the most visibility and control.
AI features can be disabled on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and even the Brave Browser.
Disable Gemini and Generative AI features on Chrome for Smartphones (simplest method)
One of the most direct approaches parents might take is to disable Gemini or other AI features on their child’s Google account. This will automatically apply these settings to any device that their child is signed into, including iPhones and Android smartphones.
We suggest going a step further by using Google Family Link to directly manage your child’s Google account and enable restrictions as a parent. If you haven’t set up Family Link for your child, we have a dedicated guide for enabling Family Link that can help get you started.
If you already have Family Link set up, go to their website (or use the Family Link app) and go to Controls > Content restrictions > Gemini.
Family Link can only disable AI features if your child is using Google Chrome and has been logged in with their Google account, but because it’s applied to your child’s entire Google account, it’s a much more effective approach for smartphones. If your child (or teen) has a Windows or Mac computer, there are additional methods you should consider.
Disable AI Features on Most Web Browsers using a Mac (Intermediate)
For Mac computers, there isn’t a specific setting that you can go to and turn off that would disable AI features entirely, and as a parent, you’re probably looking for a solution that works across multiple web browsers and can’t be disabled. If you use Google Chrome, one option is to use Family Link as you could with Smartphones; however, if your child is particularly tech-savvy, then they might find a method to bypass this restriction. For example, they might download and use an alternative web browser.
Fortunately, there is an approach that we recommend for parents instead, because it works on most of the common web browsers and cannot be easily disabled. This approach uses Apple Config Files to directly enforce the same kind of restrictions schools or businesses might use on their own devices. In addition to restricting AI features on common web browsers, there are many more options available if you use Config Files compared to parental controls or other applications.
Tech Lockdown’s Apple Config Generator can create Config Files that disable AI, Generative AI, and other features like Incognito mode to lock down a web browser more effectively on Mac computers. Instead of needing to know how to set up each browser individually, the Config Generator enables this restriction for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave from a single toggle.
On Chrome, this disables the AI mode option, the ability to use AI to generate wallpapers and other AI features automatically.
This includes the “Help Me Write” feature, AI’s ability to group tabs or access browsing history, and a few other features that are available using Config Files.
At the same time, the Config File completely hides the Copilot icon in Microsoft Edge, as well as the ability to use AI to generate wallpapers.
In both Firefox and the Brave Browser, Generative AI features are also locked down and unavailable.
One of the main reasons why we recommend Config Files so much for parents is that you can use them to disable many types of features on both web browsers and on the Mac device. Parents might use Config Files to disable guest profiles, block websites on Mac, and even prevent their child from removing the Config without help.
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Disable AI Features on Most Web Browsers using a Windows computer (Advanced)
If your child is using a Windows computer, then it’s possible to disable these AI and Generative AI features on each browser using Command Prompt.
On your Windows computer, open the Start menu, search for “Command Prompt”, and open it as an administrator.
To disable all AI features on Google Chrome, use these commands:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v AIModeSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v GeminiSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v GeminiActOnWebSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v GenAISmartGroupingSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v GenAIVcBackgroundSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v GenAIWallpaperSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v HelpMeWriteSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v HistorySearchSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v SearchContentSharingSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Completely restart the Chrome application to apply changes. On Chrome, this disables the AI mode option, the ability to use AI to generate wallpapers, and other AI features automatically. This also includes the “Help Me Write” feature, AI’s ability to group tabs or access browsing history, and a few other features that are available using Config Files.
To disable all AI features on Microsoft Edge, use these commands:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v AIGenThemesEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Completely restart the Edge application to apply changes. Copilot icon near the top right corner of the screen, as well as the ability to use AI to generate wallpapers.
To disable all AI features on the Brave Browser, use this command:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\BraveSoftware\Brave" /v BraveAIChatEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
And on Firefox:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\GenerativeAI" /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\GenerativeAI" /v Chatbot /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\GenerativeAI" /v LinkPreviews /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\GenerativeAI" /v TabGroups /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\GenerativeAI" /v Locked /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
In both Firefox and the Brave Browser, Generative AI features are also locked down and unavailable.