Google will switch off Gemini and Search for K-12 student accounts until school admins enable them

Google will turn off Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search for K-12 student accounts, meaning primary and secondary school students, until school administrators explicitly turn them on, the company announced on November 3, 2026. Because Search now includes AI features, a school that refuses AI would also lose the search engine, a Google executive has said. Schools using Google's education products face that choice in the coming months.

What changes for schools

The change reverses the earlier default. The Verge reports that Google turned Gemini on by default in Google Classroom a few months ago. Google now says it will share specifics with schools in the coming months, ahead of the rollout, and its post gives neither a date nor a list of countries.

The consequence for Search comes from an interview, not from the post. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for education, told The New York Times that Search and AI are deeply integrated, as The Verge and TechCrunch report. If a school does not enable AI, he said, students will not have access to Search and will see a message from their school.

The reports differ on how fine the controls are. The Verge writes that Google says each service can be turned on or off individually, but that administrators cannot turn off the AI features in Search without turning off Search. Ars Technica describes the choice as all or nothing. Google's post does not settle the question.

Guided Learning goes into Classroom and Search

Google paired the announcement with Guided Learning, a mode that coaches students through open-ended questions and step-by-step breakdowns instead of giving final answers. It became globally available in Google Classroom on November 3, 2026, for activities a teacher assigns.

In Search, Google plans a pilot in select U.S. schools later in November, before expanding to other school districts in the coming months. Google says its research shows measurable learning gains with Guided Learning, though the post gives no figures.

The response so far

The Verge reports criticism from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Google says the change gives schools more choice, not less.