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You cannot stop every Gboard-related data flow with one switch. On Android, review three separate controls—Personalise for you, Improve for everyone, and Audio donations—then delete Gboard’s learned words. On iPhone, clear the Gboard dictionary separately. These changes limit particular learning or donation features; they do not erase Google account activity or necessarily stop searches, usage statistics, or talk-to-text processing described in Google’s support guidance.

Google’s current Gboard Help pages, accessed in October 2026, describe these controls as feature-specific choices rather than a universal offline mode. The practical goal is to identify each flow you use, disable the optional ones, and remove the local data Gboard has already learned.

Turn off Gboard learning and audio sharing on Android

The quickest route is through Gboard itself. Open an app with a text field, display the keyboard, and tap the Settings icon. Select Privacy. If you cannot open Gboard from a keyboard, use Android’s system settings instead: Settings → System → Languages and input → On-screen keyboard → Gboard → Privacy. The exact wording and location can vary by phone maker, Android release, or Gboard version.

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  1. Disable Personalise for you. Turn this switch off to stop Gboard’s documented personal-learning feature from adapting recognition and suggestions for you.
  2. Disable Improve for everyone, if it appears. This controls whether learning from your device contributes to broader improvements for Gboard users.
  3. Disable Audio donations. Under the voice-related options, turn this off if you do not want to volunteer audio snippets for speech-recognition improvement.

Each switch addresses a different activity. Turning off one does not automatically turn off the others, and labels can differ across devices. Review every option that is visible on your phone rather than assuming one privacy setting covers the entire keyboard.

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What the three Android controls mean

Control Purpose What Google describes Action
Personalise for you Individualized learning for your keyboard experience Gboard can use on-device learning to adapt recognition and suggestions to you. The support material does not establish one universal default for every device. Switch it off in Gboard → Settings → Privacy.
Improve for everyone Broader product improvement When present, this setting controls a contribution intended to help improve Gboard beyond your individual device. Switch it off in the same Privacy screen.
Audio donations Optional speech-recognition feedback If you agree, audio snippets are sent to and stored by Google for improvement. Some may be heard or transcribed by human reviewers. Turn it off under the voice options in Privacy. Previously donated material is a separate deletion question.

Personalise for you concerns the individual keyboard experience: recognition and suggestions can adapt to words and patterns learned on the device. Improve for everyone, when available, concerns contributing learning beyond your own keyboard. Google says federated learning is enabled by default in its description, but the visible label and availability can depend on the release installed on your phone. Audio donations is an explicit sharing choice for speech-recognition feedback, not simply another name for keyboard personalization.

When privacy is the priority, change all three relevant controls instead of stopping after the first switch. Then use the deletion command described below. Disabling a control affects future operation; it does not automatically remove local words already learned or audio that was previously donated.

Delete Gboard’s learned words and on-device data

Disabling learning prevents the selected feature from continuing, but it does not by itself remove words Gboard already learned. To erase that local learning on Android:

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  1. Open Gboard in any text field and tap Settings.
  2. Tap Privacy.
  3. Choose Delete learned words and data.
  4. Read the confirmation prompt and confirm the deletion.

Some Android help pages expose a shorter route: Gboard Settings → Dictionary → Delete learned words. Use whichever label your version provides. This removes Gboard’s learned words or other on-device learned data covered by that command. It is not a command to delete Google Search history, account activity, cloud backups, or every piece of information associated with your Google account.

After deletion, personalized suggestions may be less familiar until Gboard learns again. That change is an expected consequence of clearing the local dictionary, not evidence that the deletion failed. If you leave Personalise for you enabled, later typing can create new on-device learning. For a clean reset, turn off the learning options first, clear the data, and then verify the switches remain off.

The Android deletion command should also be distinguished from clearing an app cache or uninstalling Gboard. Google’s documented command specifically targets learned words and data in Gboard. It does not promise to remove records held by other Google products, and it does not retroactively alter a search or voice request that was already processed.

Clear the Gboard dictionary on iPhone and iPad

On iOS, open the Gboard app, go to Keyboard settings, and tap Clear my dictionary. Confirm the action when prompted.

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This command clears Gboard’s learned dictionary on the iPhone or iPad. It does not represent a blanket deletion of Google account activity, searches, or data held by another Google service. iOS menus and wording can change between app versions, so update the Gboard app or look for the same dictionary control if the label is slightly different.

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Android’s Privacy screen and iOS’s dictionary control are not one-to-one equivalents. The iPhone path documented by Google focuses on clearing the local dictionary; do not assume that an Android switch such as Improve for everyone will appear in the iOS app. Review the controls that actually exist on your platform and treat missing labels as a platform or version difference, not as proof that every data flow is disabled.

What turning these settings off does—and does not—stop

“Stop Gboard from collecting personal data” can mean several different things. Google’s Android Gboard help describes separate flows, so a privacy change aimed at learning should not be presented as a promise that no keyboard-related information ever leaves the device.

Searches entered through Gboard

Google says searches entered through Gboard are sent to Google so it can return search results. This is a different flow from ordinary text entry. If you use Gboard’s search feature, disabling personalization does not turn that search request into an offline operation. A search typed into the keyboard’s search interface should therefore be treated like a Google search request, even if you have disabled learning and cleared the dictionary.

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Usage statistics

Google also says usage statistics are sent to learn which features are used and to help improve the app. The learning switches may affect particular contributions, but the support description treats usage statistics as a distinct category. Do not infer that clearing the dictionary removes historical usage statistics. A user who wants to minimize optional learning should review the available Privacy controls, while recognizing that the help page does not describe the dictionary command as an account-wide statistics deletion tool.

Talk-to-text voice input

For voice used with talk-to-text, Google’s Android help says the voice is sent to Google for transcription. This statement concerns the transcription flow itself; it is not a guarantee about every voice-related feature, device, or language. If you need the least possible voice transmission, avoid talk-to-text and review the separate audio-donation control rather than treating them as the same setting.

Turning off Audio donations means you are no longer volunteering snippets through that donation program. It does not mean that pressing the microphone for ordinary talk-to-text becomes local processing. Those are separate uses of voice input with different documented behavior.

Ordinary typed content and saved words

The same Android help page says ordinary typed content other than searches—examples include passwords and chats—and saved words are not sent. Keep that statement within the scope of the documented Android behavior. It should not be broadened into “Gboard never sends what you type,” because searches, voice transcription, usage statistics, and feature-specific processing are described separately.

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This distinction explains why a privacy-conscious setup can still use Gboard for ordinary text while avoiding its search and voice features. It also explains why no single switch can satisfy every interpretation of “stop collecting”: the controls target learning and donation, while other features have their own network behavior.

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Federated learning is different from audio donations

Google describes two learning mechanisms that are easy to confuse:

  • Federated learning: Gboard learns on the device and sends what it learns to Google to combine with learning from other users. Google says the text spoken or typed is not sent in this process. Its help material says federated learning is enabled by default and can be turned off in Gboard’s Privacy settings.
  • Conventional learning with voluntary audio donations: If you agree to donate audio, snippets are sent to and stored by Google to improve speech recognition. Google says a snippet can contain up to 15 seconds of speech, or up to 25 seconds when silence or unrecognized audio is present. Donated snippets are kept for no more than 18 months, and some may be reviewed by people or transcribed by human reviewers.

These are not interchangeable controls. Turning off Audio donations does not necessarily disable federated learning; Google explicitly says it may still learn from on-device data through federated learning. Conversely, disabling federated learning does not retroactively describe or delete audio that was previously donated. If you want to limit both categories, check both controls and delete local learned data separately.

The retention limit applies to donated snippets as described by Google: no more than 18 months. It is not a promise that every other voice-related record, search, or usage statistic follows the same schedule. The 15-second and 25-second figures are maximum snippet lengths in the donation description, with the longer limit applying when silence or unrecognized audio is present.

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Advanced voice typing has its own documented behavior

Google’s guidance for advanced voice typing describes certain voice-command features that send both the transcript of the command and the full text currently in the input field to Google servers for processing. In the flow described by Google, no text or audio is stored on Google servers. That is feature-specific guidance, not a general rule for every speech input mode.

The advanced voice-typing documentation scopes some capabilities to particular Pixel devices and languages. Availability can change with device model, language, Android release, or account configuration. Before relying on the described behavior, check whether the feature is actually available on your phone and language. If it is not available, ordinary talk-to-text remains a separate path with its own transmission behavior.

This is why the microphone icon alone does not tell you which privacy rule applies. Identify whether you are using ordinary talk-to-text, a voluntary donation prompt, or an advanced voice command. Each may have different processing and storage descriptions, and the controls in Gboard Privacy do not necessarily govern all of them.

A privacy-first setup checklist

Use this sequence when setting up Gboard on Android:

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  1. Open Gboard → Settings → Privacy.
  2. Turn off Personalise for you.
  3. Turn off Improve for everyone if the option is shown.
  4. Turn off Audio donations under the voice options.
  5. Select Delete learned words and data and confirm.
  6. If you use Gboard search, remember that searches are a separate request sent to Google for results.
  7. If you use talk-to-text, treat voice transcription as a separate data flow and avoid it when you need text entry to remain local.

On iPhone or iPad, open Gboard → Keyboard settings → Clear my dictionary. iOS does not use the same Android Privacy screen or necessarily expose the same three labels, so do not look for an exact one-to-one menu match.

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After completing the steps, reopen Privacy and check the visible switches. A major app or operating-system update can restore a prompt, rename a control, or change which options are offered. The safest habit is to review the screen again after updates rather than relying on an old screenshot or remembered menu path.

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Common problems and how to interpret them

A setting is missing

Gboard features and labels vary by device, software version, language, and platform. First open Gboard’s own settings from a text field; then check the Android system path Settings → System → Languages and input → On-screen keyboard → Gboard → Privacy. If a control still is not present, its availability may be limited for that configuration. Do not assume an absent label means every related collection process is disabled.

Suggestions return after deletion

Deleting learned words clears the data covered by the deletion command at that time. If personalization remains enabled, Gboard may learn again from later use. Turn off the relevant learning switches before or immediately after clearing the dictionary if you do not want new on-device personalization.

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You disabled audio donations but still see voice-related options

Audio donations, talk-to-text transcription, and advanced voice typing are separate features. Turning off donations stops the optional donation setting; it does not automatically disable every form of voice input or every server-side operation described for voice commands. Review which voice feature you are using and apply its own control or avoid it.

You want all Google history removed

Gboard’s learned-word deletion is not an account-wide eraser. Searches, usage statistics, and other Google services have their own records and controls. Use the relevant Google service’s account-activity tools for those records; do not expect the Gboard deletion button to remove them.

You are unsure whether a message is ordinary typing

Google’s Android help distinguishes ordinary typed content, such as chats and passwords, from searches entered through Gboard. If you switch into Gboard Search, use the microphone, or accept an audio-donation prompt, you have moved into a different feature flow. Check the active feature before assuming the ordinary-typing description applies.

What you can realistically achieve

With the Android switches disabled and learned data deleted, you have stopped the documented personal-learning contribution, broader improvement contribution where offered, and voluntary audio donation going forward, while clearing the local learned dictionary. You have not made Gboard universally offline: Google’s documentation still describes separate handling for searches, usage statistics, talk-to-text transcription, federated learning, and certain advanced voice commands.

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The most accurate privacy strategy is therefore selective: disable every learning or donation option you do not want, clear the data Gboard stores locally, and avoid features whose stated operation requires sending a search or voice input. Recheck the Privacy screen after major Android or Gboard updates because menu labels and feature availability can change.

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Google’s Gboard Help pages do not provide a single setting that blocks every category at once, nor do they provide a universal deletion button for all Google-held records. Treat each documented behavior separately, keep the scope of each claim narrow, and use the platform-specific deletion path that matches your device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Personalise for you stop all Gboard data collection?

No. It stops the documented personal-learning feature, but Google separately describes searches sent for results, usage statistics, talk-to-text transcription, federated learning, and feature-specific voice processing. Review each feature you use.

Is federated learning the same as Audio donations?

No. Google describes federated learning as sending what Gboard learns for combination with other users’ learning without sending the spoken or typed text. Audio donations send accepted voice snippets to Google for speech-recognition improvement. They have separate controls.

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What does Delete learned words and data remove?

It removes Gboard’s learned words or other on-device learned data covered by the command. It does not delete Google Search history, account activity, cloud backups, previously processed requests, or every record held by another Google service.

How do I clear Gboard’s learned dictionary on an iPhone?

Open the Gboard app, choose Keyboard settings, tap Clear my dictionary, and confirm. This clears the local Gboard dictionary; iOS does not necessarily expose the same Android Privacy switches.

How long can donated Gboard audio be kept?

Google says donated snippets are kept for no more than 18 months. A snippet can contain up to 15 seconds of speech, or up to 25 seconds when silence or unrecognized audio is present. Some snippets may be heard or transcribed by human reviewers.

If I turn off Audio donations, are previous donations deleted?

Not according to the documented switch description. Turning the option off addresses future voluntary donations. Local learned data has a separate deletion command, and the Gboard controls are not described as an account-wide eraser for material already sent.

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Does disabling Audio donations make talk-to-text private and offline?

No. Google’s Android help separately says voice used with talk-to-text is sent to Google for transcription. Audio donations and ordinary talk-to-text are different flows.

Why can’t I find one of these settings?

Labels and availability vary by phone maker, Android or iOS version, language, and Gboard release. Open Gboard’s own settings first, then try Android’s System → Languages and input → On-screen keyboard → Gboard → Privacy path. An absent label may simply be unavailable for that configuration.

The Bottom Line

For the strongest Gboard privacy settings available on your device, turn off Personalise for you, Improve for everyone, and Audio donations on Android, then delete learned words and data. On iPhone or iPad, use Clear my dictionary. These steps limit specific learning and donation features; searches, usage statistics, voice transcription, and other feature-specific processing remain separate.

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