Google says schools that disable AI will also lose student Search access

Google announced new controls for Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search on K-12 student accounts. Google said the four products will be turned off for those accounts until school administrators enable them. Administrators will be able to activate Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search separately, Google told Engadget. At schools that disable Google’s AI tools, students will not be able to use Google Search through the affected school accounts. Google plans to roll out the updated school controls in the coming months. The announcement also includes changes to Guided Learning. Google said Guided Learning in Search will begin testing at selected U.S. schools later in November 2026. Guided Learning became globally available in Google Classroom on November 3, 2026. The controls apply to K-12 student accounts, and administrators must explicitly enable the covered products before students can use them. The separate settings give administrators individual controls over the four products covered by the announcement. Schools that reject Google’s AI tools will therefore have affected student accounts without access to Google Search.