Which product and account does this cover?
Web Gemini Apps: personal Task mode and administrator-managed Workspace connections.
- Personal Gemini Apps
- Connected apps vary by account, region, device, and app. The directions below use the web interface.
- Personal Task mode
- Requires age 18+, Google AI Pro or Ultra, Keep Activity, and Personal Intelligence. Currently excludes the EEA, Nigeria, Switzerland, and UK; unavailable to work/school accounts.
- Workspace Gemini Apps
- Requires a qualifying Workspace edition, administrator-enabled connections, and administrator-managed Keep Activity.
What the permission settings mean
Choose the source before connecting everything
On a personal account, open Customize → Connectors; use More first if Customize is hidden. Open an app to read its supported actions, then use Add only if the task needs it. Connecting a service is broader than attaching one approved document.
For Workspace, start with @Google Drive and identify the notes. Your administrator controls availability.
Approve a specific action
For Task mode, use the permission settings above before starting. Choose Allow once for a needed step and Don't allow for an unwanted one. Allow for this chat extends permission through that Google-product task thread; Always allow changes future defaults. Start a fresh thread when testing your settings.
Google describes sensitive-action checks as safeguards, not guarantees. Inspect the proposed change before approving. If available access is too broad, attach the approved notes instead.
Check memory and training separately
Personal memory lives under Settings → Personal Intelligence → Memory. Eligible US adults with a Google AI plan can inspect Memory summary and its history. Review what is saved instead of relying on a chat answer about memory.
Keep Activity is a separate setting in Gemini Apps Activity. With it off, future chats are not used for model training unless you submit feedback; Google still retains them for 72 hours. Task mode needs it on. These personal-account choices do not replace your Workspace administrator's settings.
Watch the work and know where Stop is
Open the task thread's progress chip to inspect its work panel. Files lists documents read or updated. Compare those entries with the job you assigned.
To cancel the whole task, click Stop in Gemini's text box. Stop in Chrome's side panel stops that browser work; Gemini may continue through another tool or remote browser. Closing your laptop does not reliably stop cloud work.
Remove access and account for copies
Personal account: Customize → Connectors → app → More options → Disconnect. Clear saved remote sign-ins through Settings → Browser → Delete remote browser data. Workspace users need their administrator to disable connections.
For a linked third-party app, Google Account's Linked apps page also has an Agent access filter: open the app, then Stop using it for the agent. That does not remove the underlying account link.
Disconnecting does not erase information already in chats. Delete activity separately, and review any files or information already sent to other services. Turning Keep Activity off is not the same as revoking connections.
Practice with fictional material
Produce a recap and verify the source stayed unchanged
Use disposable approved event notes. Add a harmless check value such as EVENT-TEST-41. Record the contents and modification time.
- Configure the relevant controls above. Use only the needed connection, or attach the notes if connections are unnecessary.
- Start a fresh conversation. Ask: Read these notes and draft a 150-word event recap here, with three takeaways and the check value. Flag missing facts. Do not edit, send, publish, share, or schedule anything.
- Approve only necessary reading. Decline any unexpected action and stop the task if it tries a different route.
- Open the original in Drive yourself. Compare its contents and modification time; inspect version history if available. Save the recap and your observations locally.
Check the evidence
- The check value and cited facts match the actual approved notes.
- The source remains unchanged. Any denied action is visible in the task, not merely claimed in its final answer.
- Check the work panel for unexpected created or updated files. This verifies this run only.
Common questions
Does 'Always ask' make Gemini read-only?
No. It requires approval for the relevant action; approval still permits it. Disconnect unnecessary apps.
Why can it discuss a document after access is removed?
Earlier conversation content can remain. Revoking future access and deleting retained data are separate jobs.
Official sources
These instructions were checked against product documentation on October 31, 2026. The practice exercise is a suggested test for your own permitted workspace, not a claim that these controls were configured in your account.
Keep the whole workflow in view.
Set permissions for the tools you use.
Start with the overview, then follow the guide for your assistant or connection. Check what it can read, what it can change, and where approval happens.
Read the Controls overview