If you’ve been worried about ads popping up in your Gemini app, you can relax. Google just shut down rumors claiming it told advertisers the company would start showing ads in Gemini by 2026. According to Dan Taylor, Google’s VP of Global Ads, the story relies on inaccurate anonymous sources.
Taylor took to X to set the record straight, stating there are no ads in the Gemini app and no current plans to add them. For the 650 million people who use Gemini every month to brainstorm ideas, plan trips, or get quick answers, your experience stays interruption-free.
What the Rumors Claimed
The rumors began with an AdWeek report suggesting Google was preparing to monetize Gemini through advertising in 2026. Taylor’s denial makes a clear distinction: while Google does show ads in other AI-powered features like AI Overviews in Search or AI Mode, the standalone Gemini chatbot app remains ad-free.
When you open the Gemini app to ask for recipe ideas or help drafting an email, you’re using a different product than when you search on Google and see AI-generated results with ads. Features like Google Maps with Gemini or Chrome may have their own advertising strategies, but the core chatbot experience stays clean.
Why Android Users Should Care
Gemini has become genuinely useful for everyday tasks. Whether you’re using it through Google Chat to polish work messages or asking it to summarize articles, the app works because it’s fast and clean. Adding ads would slow everything down and create clutter.
Google probably knows that keeping Gemini ad-free matters to users. Other AI tools have experimented with ads, and the results haven’t impressed people who just want straight answers. The timing matters too, as Gemini keeps expanding into Android Auto and smart home devices. Nobody wants ads interrupting voice commands while driving.
Running AI costs money, and CEO Sundar Pichai has previously hinted at “native ad ideas” similar to YouTube. That doesn’t mean ads are coming soon, but Google is likely thinking about how to cover costs without charging users directly. For now, the company remains committed to keeping the core Gemini app experience ad-free.