Google will switch off Search for school accounts that turn down its AI tools

Google will turn off Search entirely for school student accounts whose administrators reject its AI features, the company said on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. In an education update, Google said access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search "will be entirely off" for K-12 student accounts unless administrators "explicitly turn them on", The Verge reported.

The catch is that the two cannot be separated. A school cannot keep Search and switch off Gemini.

Why Search goes with Gemini

"Search and AI are deeply integrated," Chris Phillips, Google's vice president of education, told The New York Times. Schools that disable Google's AI features "will not have access to search, and they'll see a message from their school that indicates it's not available," he said, as quoted by The Verge.

So a school administrator now has two choices for student accounts:

1. Turn both on: students get Search, along with Gemini in Classroom and Gemini Notebook.
2. Leave both off: students see a notice that Search is unavailable on their school account.

Why Google changed course

A few months ago Google switched Gemini on by default inside Google Classroom, which more than 150 million teachers and students use worldwide. That drew criticism amid reports of falling test scores, and last month US lawmakers pressed Google on the "potential harms" of putting AI products in schools. New York City has banned AI use for students until high school. Google is no longer turning AI on by default, but schools that say no pay for it with Search.

What it means for schools in Pakistan

Schools here that run Google Workspace for Education for Classroom and student email face the same choice. The change is aimed at K-12 student accounts, which in Pakistan covers everything up to intermediate.

• IT admins: check the Admin console before the new term's assignments go out. If students rely on Search for projects, leaving AI off now means losing it.
• Parents: a child signed in with a school account may see a notice that Search is unavailable, even on a home laptop, if the school leaves AI off.
• Teachers: if your school turns Gemini on, decide and tell students what AI use is allowed in homework before the first assignment.

Google has not said whether university (higher education) accounts are affected. For more on how Google's AI is changing Search in Pakistan, see our story on ads inside AI answers. Students can still use our CGPA calculator and MDCAT aggregate calculator in any browser, with no sign-in.