Google’s Gemini AI is coming to more Google TV devices, and it’s creating frustration among cord-cutters.

While it’s not possible to fully remove Gemini AI from a Google TV device, we cover some workarounds that can help improve your streaming experience.

A forced onboarding screen titled “Meet Gemini for TV” now appears when you press the microphone button or type in the search bar. For many users, this prompt creates a loop that blocks access to voice search and Google Play.

A TROYPOINT Insider Patron who was following our Onn 4K Pro setup video ran into this wall firsthand. The Gemini prompt kept looping every time they tried to search, making it impossible to get past the initial setup.

This specific situation appears to be a glitch/bug rather than intended behavior, but it highlights a bigger frustration. Even when Gemini is working as designed, many users simply don’t want an AI assistant forced onto their streaming device.

AI technology has its place, and we’re not against it at TROYPOINT. But a streaming device should be simple. You power it on, find what you want to watch, and go.

Can You Remove Gemini AI Completely?

The short answer is no. Google has replaced its standard Assistant with Gemini on the Google TV platform, and full removal isn’t possible. There’s no single on/off switch that wipes it from the system.

Within your Privacy settings on the Google TV Streamer, all of the options within “Gemini for TV” have nothing to do with disabling Gemini on your device. You can toggle off Voice control but Gemini still remains integrated on your device.

And within the Privacy settings of the Onn 4K Plus, there is no option yet labeled “Gemini for TV” and the same applies – you can toggle off Voice control but Gemini won’t leave your device. However, we assume “Gemini for TV” is rolling out to Onn streaming devices in the near future.

Gemini doesn’t live in one place on your device. It gets integrated into every Google module, and you’d have to dig into each one individually to limit its reach.

Even after all that effort, you can only restrict how it responds to your input rather than eliminate it. TROYPOINT Insider members who spent hours working through the settings reported the process is tedious with very little payoff.

Google has also begun phasing out the classic Assistant in early 2026, making Gemini the permanent default for newer hardware. While workarounds still function for now, the company is clearly pushing users toward full adoption.

Workarounds to Disable Gemini AI on Google TV

While none of these solutions are a silver bullet to removing Gemini AI on your Google TV device, we wanted to provide workarounds that help alleviate the problem.

Switch the Voice Assistant in Privacy Settings

Go to Settings > Privacy > Voice Assistant. This menu is now titled “Gemini for TV” since it replaced Google Assistant. You can toggle it off here to revert to the classic Assistant.

Be aware that on some firmware versions, this may disable all voice control on the device rather than simply falling back to the old Assistant. The Onn 4K Pro also has a physical mic switch on the side of the unit to disable the built-in microphone if you want to stop “Hey Google” from listening entirely.

Install a Third-Party Launcher

For those who want to bypass Google TV’s interface altogether, using a custom launcher replaces the stock home screen and removes your reliance on Google’s built-in search tools.

Popular custom launchers include Projectivity, Wolf, FLauncher, ATV, Super Smart TV, and others covered in our best launchers guide.

Consider a Non-Google TV Device

If none of the workarounds above solve the problem, switching to a non-Google TV device like Fire TV, Roku, or Apple TV would avoid Gemini AI entirely.

However, we don’t recommend jumping ship just because of this Gemini AI issue. Amazon, Roku, and Apple are all working on their own AI integrations, so this problem isn’t going away by changing platforms. It’s only a matter of time before every streaming device has some form of AI baked in.

Plus Amazon keeps cracking down on third-party apps and both Roku and Apple TV are running closed operating systems that prevent side-loading.

Final Thoughts from Troy

There’s a time and place for AI, and we understand it’s not going away. But a streaming box doesn’t need an AI assistant managing things for you.

Google embedding Gemini into every layer of the Google TV experience, with no real way to opt out, takes away the simplicity that cord-cutters expect from their devices.

The workarounds above should help you reclaim control of your Onn 4K Pro or other Google TV device. We’ll keep an eye on this and update the article if Google offers a better solution down the road.

For more details on this topic, refer to the official Gemini for TV page from Google and this Reddit thread covering Google TV topics.

We want to know your thoughts. What do you think about Gemini AI on Google TV devices? Let us know in the comment section below!