Google Workspace adds Gemini chat controls for admins

Google Workspace has introduced two new administrator controls for the Gemini app, giving organizations more flexibility in managing user chat activity while maintaining compliance with data retention policies. The updates, announced on June 16, 2026, allow end users to initiate temporary chats that are not saved to their history or delete individual conversations or their entire chat history—provided these features are enabled by administrators.

The changes reflect Google’s effort to balance user autonomy with organizational governance, particularly for customers using Google Vault. While the new settings provide users with more control over their chat data, Vault retention rules will continue to take precedence if configured, ensuring that legal and compliance requirements are met regardless of user actions.

What changed

The Gemini app now includes two distinct features that administrators can toggle: temporary chats and conversation deletion. Temporary chats allow users to engage in conversations that do not persist in their chat history, while conversation deletion enables users to remove specific chats or their entire history from the app. Both features are enabled by default but can be disabled at the domain, organizational unit (OU), or group level through the Workspace admin console.

For end users, the new options appear directly in the Gemini app interface if permitted by their administrator. This means employees can choose to have ephemeral discussions or clean up their chat logs without requiring IT intervention. However, the availability of these features depends entirely on how administrators configure the settings, which may vary across different teams or departments within an organization.

Why organizations may adjust settings

The introduction of these controls addresses two key concerns for enterprise customers: user privacy and data governance. Temporary chats, in particular, could appeal to teams handling sensitive or short-term discussions where permanent records are unnecessary. Meanwhile, conversation deletion provides a way for users to manage their digital footprint, which may be useful in environments where chat logs are subject to internal audits or regulatory scrutiny.

However, the default-enabled status of these features may prompt some organizations to review their settings. Companies with strict data retention policies or those operating in regulated industries may prefer to disable one or both options to prevent accidental data loss or ensure compliance with legal hold requirements. Google’s documentation emphasizes that Vault retention rules will override user deletions, but administrators may still opt to restrict these features to minimize risk.

Rollout timeline and availability

The new administrator controls are available immediately to all Google Workspace customers, with no additional licensing required. The rollout follows Google’s standard release schedule, with Rapid Release domains seeing the changes first, followed by Scheduled Release domains. End-user visibility of the features depends on whether administrators choose to enable them, meaning some organizations may not see the options in the Gemini app until IT teams adjust the settings.

Google has provided resources in the Workspace Help Center to guide administrators through the configuration process, including step-by-step instructions for enabling or disabling the features at different levels of the organizational hierarchy.