Google Chrome Quietly Installed Gemini Nano on Some Devices

Google Chrome has been quietly installing a 4GB AI model called Gemini Nano on some devices without asking users first, according to Alexander Hanff, a Swedish computer scientist and lawyer known as That Privacy Guy.

Hanff told CNET that the model is being added to some Chrome browsers on devices that meet Google’s hardware requirements. Gemini Nano runs locally on the device rather than in the cloud, which means it can process certain AI tasks using the computer’s own resources. Google has not been telling users when the model is installed, Hanff said.

Gemini Nano is used for features such as detecting scam phone calls, helping write text messages, summarizing recordings and analyzing screenshots on Pixel phones. It is separate from the AI Mode feature in Chrome’s address bar, which sends prompts to Google Gemini servers instead of running locally on the device.

According to Hanff, users may not realize the model has been installed unless they search for it directly. He said that Chrome does not ask for permission and does not surface the install in the browser interface.

If the model is on a device, users can check for a folder called OptGuideOnDeviceModel in File Explorer on Windows, Files on Chromebooks, or Finder on Macs. Inside that folder, a file called weights.bin indicates that Gemini Nano is present, Hanff said.

Google told CNET that Gemini Nano will automatically uninstall if the device does not have enough resources, including processing power, RAM, storage space or network bandwidth. The company also said that in February it began rolling out a way for users to turn off and remove the model directly in Chrome settings. “Once disabled, the model will no longer download or update,” the spokesperson said.

For users who want to remove the model, Hanff said there are two main options: uninstall Chrome entirely, or go to chrome://flags in the browser and turn off “Enables optimization guide on device.” That flag appears to control the on-device model behavior.

Hanff argued that the installation may have been designed to help Google reduce costs by moving AI processing onto users’ hardware instead of its own servers. “Running inference on users’ own hardware allows them to push ‘AI features’ without the compute costs,” Hanff told CNET.

He also suggested the rollout could raise legal issues in Europe. In his view, the install could conflict with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which requires lawfulness, fairness and transparency in data processing. He also said Google should have disclosed the environmental impact under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

Google has a page with more information about on-device generative AI models in Chrome. Hanff said users should not assume they would be notified, since, in his words, “Chrome did not ask” and “Chrome does not surface it.”