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To change Chrome’s on-device AI setting in Windows 11, open Chrome and go to More (⋮) > Settings > System > On-device AI. Switch it on to let Chrome download and use supported on-device Generative AI models, or switch it off to remove downloaded model files and block their future downloads. The control appears only on eligible devices, and Chrome may require an unmetered connection, about 20 GB of free disk space, and adequate performance. This setting is separate from Gemini in Chrome, which has its own controls, sign-in requirements, permissions, and rollout.
How do I turn on On-device AI in Chrome on Windows 11?
Use Chrome’s built-in System settings; no Windows 11 registry edit, command, or file-management step is required.
- Open Google Chrome on the Windows 11 PC.
- Select the three-dot More menu in the upper-right corner.
- Choose Settings.
- In the left navigation, open System.
- Find On-device AI and turn the switch on.
After you enable it, Chrome can download the local Generative AI models required by supported features when the computer meets Google’s eligibility checks. The switch may not appear on every computer or Chrome installation. Google’s Chrome Help documentation identifies this in-product switch as the only supported way to manage these models: Manage on-device Generative AI models in Chrome.
How do I turn On-device AI off?
Follow the same path and move the switch to the off position: More (⋮) > Settings > System > On-device AI.
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When you turn it off, Chrome deletes the downloaded on-device Generative AI model files. Features that depend on those models stop working, and Chrome will not download the models again while the setting remains off, even if you try to use a feature that needs one. Re-enabling the switch allows required models to download again if the PC is eligible.
Do not try to manage the models by browsing to Chrome’s folders and deleting files. Google does not recommend manual deletion, and it may not prevent Chrome from downloading models again. The supported control is the setting inside Chrome.
What does Chrome’s On-device AI switch control?
The switch controls Chrome’s on-device Generative AI models. These are models downloaded to and run on the PC instead of being fetched for every operation from a remote service. Depending on availability, Chrome features using them can include writing or rephrasing help, scam warnings, web-page summaries, and tab organization.
- Local processing: the model executes on the Windows computer, which can support local handling of the feature’s AI work.
- Potential responsiveness: processing locally can reduce dependence on a round trip to a remote service, although the actual experience depends on the computer and feature.
- Feature-specific behavior: the switch affects features that use these on-device Generative AI models, not every AI-related function in Chrome.
Some Chrome AI features do not depend on the on-device Generative AI models. Those features can continue to work with the switch off, so disabling the setting is not the same as disabling every AI capability or every safety feature in the browser.
Why is Chrome downloading AI models?
Chrome downloads model files when an eligible installation has On-device AI enabled and a supported feature needs the local model. The download supplies the data Chrome needs to run that feature on the device; it is not evidence that Windows itself has installed a separate AI application.
Google lists these eligibility conditions in its current Chrome Help documentation:
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- An unmetered network connection.
- Approximately 20 GB of free disk space.
- Sufficient device performance.
The exact device requirements can change, and Google does not make the setting or every related feature available on all devices. A metered connection, insufficient storage, or hardware that does not meet the current performance threshold can prevent a download. If you enable the switch again after turning it off, Chrome can download the required files again only after those eligibility conditions are satisfied.
What happens to Chrome features when I disable the setting?
Only features that require the on-device Generative AI models lose their model-dependent behavior. Chrome removes the local model files and blocks their re-download for as long as the switch is off.
Features that rely on the models
Writing or rephrasing assistance, page summaries, tab organization, scam warnings, and other supported functions may stop working when they need an on-device model. Availability varies by Chrome version, device, language, and Google’s rollout decisions, so the list of affected features is not identical for every user.
Features that use another system
Some AI-related Chrome features use a different service or processing path. They may remain available after you disable On-device AI, which is why the browser can still show AI controls even though its local Generative AI models have been removed.
Why can’t I find On-device AI in Chrome settings?
A missing switch usually means the installation, account context, device, or rollout does not currently qualify for the feature. The setting is not guaranteed to appear on every Windows 11 PC.
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- Check the path carefully: open Settings > System, not the separate AI innovations page used for Gemini in Chrome.
- Confirm Chrome is current: Google ties availability to supported Chrome builds and can change requirements over time. Use Chrome’s normal update mechanism, then reopen Settings.
- Check eligibility: make sure the PC has roughly 20 GB of free space, an unmetered connection, and adequate performance.
- Consider rollout timing: Google can enable features gradually, so another Windows 11 computer may show the switch while yours does not.
- Check administration: a Chrome Enterprise deployment can use policy to govern model download and use. An administrator-controlled browser may hide or lock the local control.
Do not create a replacement registry setting or remove files to force the control to appear. Those actions are outside Google’s supported management method and can leave the installation in an unpredictable state.
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Is On-device AI the same as Gemini in Chrome?
No. On-device AI manages Chrome’s local Generative AI model files; Gemini in Chrome is a separate browser feature with separate settings and permissions.
| Area | On-device AI | Gemini in Chrome |
|---|---|---|
| Where to manage it | Settings > System > On-device AI | Settings > AI innovations > Gemini in Chrome |
| What the control covers | Download and use of Chrome’s on-device Generative AI models | Whether Gemini is shown and what permissions it receives |
| Examples of permissions or controls | The local model switch | Precise location, microphone, sharing the current tab by default, and permission for Gemini to browse for you |
| Account and availability | Shown only on eligible devices; availability can vary by device | Gradual rollout; requires a supported Windows computer, the latest Chrome, Chrome sign-in, and a supported language |
| Incognito | The model setting is a regular Chrome profile setting | Gemini in Chrome is unavailable in Incognito mode |
| Tab sharing | Not a tab-sharing control | Google documents sharing up to 10 open tabs with Gemini in Chrome |
Gemini in Chrome has its own Google guidance, including rollout and computer requirements: Use Gemini in Chrome – Computer. Turning one setting on or off does not substitute for the other. For example, disabling local models does not automatically remove Gemini’s separate permissions, and enabling local models does not turn Gemini on.
How should I troubleshoot a failed model download?
Work from the eligibility checks toward the browser setting rather than deleting Chrome files.
- Verify the connection type. Connect through an unmetered network. A metered connection can prevent Chrome from obtaining the model.
- Free storage. Check Windows 11’s available disk space and target approximately 20 GB of free capacity, as stated in Google’s current documentation.
- Check the switch. Return to Settings > System > On-device AI and confirm it remains on.
- Use the feature again. Required models may download when a supported feature requests them, rather than immediately when you open the settings page.
- Restart Chrome. Close all Chrome windows, reopen the browser, and check the setting and feature again.
- Check for policy control. On a work or school PC, contact the administrator if a policy controls model download or use.
If the switch is unavailable after these checks, the device may simply not be included in the current eligibility or rollout. Google notes that specific requirements can change, so an older eligibility assumption may no longer apply.
Can different people on one Windows 11 PC choose different settings?
Yes. The choice is associated with the Chrome user and the device. People who share one Windows computer can therefore have different On-device AI settings in their separate Chrome profiles, and one person can choose different settings on different devices.
Enterprise policy is the exception to ordinary personal control. In a managed Chrome Enterprise deployment, an administrator can govern whether models may download or be used, so the local switch may be restricted or its value may not be fully under the user’s control.
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Should I leave On-device AI enabled?
Leave it enabled if you want supported Chrome features that depend on local Generative AI models and your PC meets the storage, connection, and performance requirements. Turn it off if you do not want Chrome to keep those model files or download them again, or if you prefer not to use model-dependent features.
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- Choose on when local model features are useful and approximately 20 GB of disk space is available.
- Choose off when conserving storage is more important than those features, or when you want model downloads blocked until you deliberately re-enable them.
- Check Gemini separately if your concern is tab sharing, microphone, location, or Gemini’s ability to browse for you; those permissions are not controlled by the On-device AI switch.
The setting is reversible. Re-enabling it does not preserve the deleted model files; Chrome must download any required models again when the device qualifies.
What should I remember before changing the setting?
- The supported path is Chrome > More > Settings > System > On-device AI.
- Switching off removes downloaded local Generative AI models and prevents their re-download while off.
- Model downloads require an eligible device, an unmetered connection, about 20 GB of free disk space, and sufficient performance.
- The choice is per Chrome user and device, subject to enterprise policy.
- Gemini in Chrome is separate, with separate rollout, requirements, permissions, and settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prevent only one Chrome AI feature from downloading its model?
Google documents the On-device AI switch as the supported control for the generative model set, rather than a per-feature file selector. If the switch stays on, Chrome can obtain a model when a supported feature requires it; turning the switch off blocks those model downloads together.
Will turning On-device AI back on restore the old model files immediately?
No. Disabling the setting deletes the downloaded files. After you enable it again, Chrome must obtain any required models again, and the download still depends on an eligible device and the documented connection, storage, and performance conditions.
Why can Gemini ask for permissions when On-device AI is disabled?
The two controls govern different systems. Gemini in Chrome has its own permissions for items such as precise location, microphone access, current-tab sharing, and browsing assistance, so changing the local-model switch does not change those Gemini choices.
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Yes. Chrome Enterprise policy can govern model download and use. On a managed computer, an administrator’s policy can restrict the local setting even when the hardware and storage otherwise meet Google’s eligibility conditions.
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