Can you use Google without AI?

AI Overviews are Google-generated summaries shown above the search results. They cannot be disabled directly. However, with the right browser settings or by switching to a search engine without AI, you can bypass AI-generated answers and use Google without AI.

What are Google’s AI Overviews?

Since May 2024, Google has displayed AI Overviews in search results in the United States. At the very top, even above the ranked search results, a brief AI-generated response appears, usually presented as a compact summary with a few bullet points. Google then lists links to sources below it so the in­for­ma­tion can be read and verified.

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Is it still possible to use Google without AI search?

Opinions about AI Overviews are divided. From an SEO per­spec­tive and the stand­point of website operators, many see the feature as prob­lem­at­ic because it can divert potential visitors from their sites and affect tra­di­tion­al search engine marketing. From the user side, however, some ap­pre­ci­ate receiving a direct answer to their questions without needing to visit multiple websites. Others don’t trust the results or simply want to read up on certain topics them­selves and prefer using a search engine without AI.

There is currently (as of February 2026) no proper switch to de­ac­ti­vate the AI overview within the search engine. However, there are several ways to bypass the Overviews and use Google without AI, or switch to a search engine without AI:

• Use the Web filter: In the tabs directly below the search bar, select ‘Web’ after running your query. This view hides the AI Overview, allowing you to use Google without AI. In some cases, the ‘Web’ tab is located under ‘More’.
• Refine your search: Adding -ai to your query can help avoid the AI overview and brings you closer to using Google without AI. However, it may oc­ca­sion­al­ly distort the query, so some users instead choose to use a search engine without AI.
• Search via URL: When starting a search from the address bar, you can open Web mode directly using the udm=14 parameter. The address will look like this: https://www.google.com/search?udm=14&q=your+search+term

The search using the udm=14 parameter can also be set as the default. However, this cannot be con­fig­ured in Google Search itself and must instead be set up in your browser. In Google Chrome, you can do it as follows:

• First, open the three-dot menu in the top right of the browser and select ‘Settings’.
• In the left sidebar, click ‘Search engine’ and then ‘Manage search engines and site search’.
• In the ‘Site search’ section, click ‘Add’.
• A window titled ‘Add site search’ will open. Enter the following link in the field: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
• You can freely select the name and shortcut.
• Save your entry. Then click the three dots at the far right of the new entry’s row and set it as default. The new search engine will now appear higher up in the list.

In Firefox, the procedure is very similar. Open the settings, switch to the Search section, and add a new entry under search engine keywords. In Safari, however, this ad­just­ment cannot be made directly. You need to install ad­di­tion­al ex­ten­sions for that.

Al­ter­na­tive options to Google that work without AI by default

Many search engines are currently in­tro­duc­ing AI features. At the same time, there are numerous al­ter­na­tives to Google. Below are several options that, as of February 2026, still run without AI and can serve as a search engine without AI if you’d rather not rely on Google without AI workarounds.

Duck­Duck­Go

Duck­Duck­Go now offers AI features, but they are optional. You can disable them in the settings. There are also special versions of the search that de­lib­er­ate­ly work without AI answers, giving you a Google without AI–style ex­pe­ri­ence. In the default view, links are still the main focus. Duck­Duck­Go is best suited for users who prefer a modern interface but still want to decide for them­selves if and when AI features are enabled.

Mojeek

Mojeek in­ten­tion­al­ly positions itself as a classic search engine rather than an answer engine. Results are presented mainly as a standard list of links, without au­to­mat­i­cal­ly generated summaries, similar to using Google without AI added on top. Mojeek also operates its own search index instead of relying on Google or Bing, which makes the results somewhat different but more in­de­pen­dent. Ad­di­tion­al elements such as info panels can be reduced or fully disabled in the settings. If you mainly want to find websites and prefer an un­mod­i­fied display, it’s a very minimal, search engine without AI features.

MetaGer

MetaGer is a metasearch engine from Germany that combines multiple search sources. The clear emphasis is on data pro­tec­tion and trans­paren­cy. The interface centres on a tra­di­tion­al results list, without gen­er­a­tive answer boxes and only links to external websites, making it feel closer to Google without AI. MetaGer is es­pe­cial­ly appealing for users seeking a European al­ter­na­tive who in­ten­tion­al­ly want to avoid AI-generated summaries and prefer a search engine without AI-style responses. The interface appears slightly more technical, but the search ex­pe­ri­ence stays close to the original concept of the web.

Startpage

Startpage positions itself as a private search engine that delivers Google results without passing personal data on to Google. The layout is fairly clean and strongly resembles earlier Google Search, es­sen­tial­ly similar to using Google without AI extras. The focus is on links to websites rather than au­to­mat­i­cal­ly generated answers. There are a few in­for­ma­tion boxes, but overall the search ex­pe­ri­ence remains classic. For many users, Startpage offers a good balance between familiar results and reduced AI presence, func­tion­ing as a search engine without AI-style output.

SearXNG

SearXNG is an open-source metasearch engine that combines results from multiple search providers. It is commonly self-hosted or accessed through public instances. Its main advantage is control, since the interface, sources, and extra features can be con­fig­ured in detail. By default, SearXNG shows a simple list of links without AI summaries, similar to Google without AI. For tech­ni­cal­ly ex­pe­ri­enced users who want maximum control over their searches, SearXNG is one of the most con­sis­tent choices when looking for a search engine without AI elements.

The future of search without AI

As of February 2026, a com­plete­ly AI-free version of Google no longer exists. AI Overviews are now a permanent part of search and cannot be switched off directly. However, you can still move the ex­pe­ri­ence closer to the tra­di­tion­al style of searching. Using the Web filter or opening results directly in Web mode em­pha­sis­es link-based results and pushes AI summaries into the back­ground.

If you want to search con­sis­tent­ly without gen­er­a­tive answers, it’s also worth con­sid­er­ing al­ter­na­tives to Google without AI-style overlays. Search engines such as Mojeek, MetaGer, and SearXNG continue to pri­ori­tise directing users to websites instead of providing prewrit­ten responses.