If your hard drive has been feeling more crowded lately and you can't figure out why, Google Chrome may have an answer, and you probably won't love it. The browser has been quietly writing a 4GB AI model called Gemini Nano to users' devices as part of a rollout that included no consent prompt, no notification and no obvious opt-out. The file powers a set of on-device AI features, including scam detection and a text composition assistant, and it reinstalls itself if you delete it. Here's how to confirm whether it's on your machine and what you can do about it.

The mysterious file in question is Gemini Nano, an AI model that runs on devices, such as smartphones and laptops rather than in the cloud. According to Alexander Hanff, a Swedish computer scientist and lawyer known as That Privacy Guy, it's been installed on some Chrome browsers without permission. You won't know when it's been downloaded onto your device, either. 

Hanff said Gemini Nano will only be installed if the device meets the hardware requirements. It's still unknown how many people have gotten the install.

Gemini Nano performs tasks such as detecting scam phone calls, helping you write text messages, summarizing recordings and analyzing Pixel phone screenshots. It's not to be confused with the AI Mode pill in the address bar. If you use AI Mode, your queries are routed to Google Gemini servers, not to Gemini Nano.

A Google spokesperson told CNET that Gemini Nano will automatically uninstall if the device doesn't have enough resources, such as processing power, memory, storage space or network bandwidth. 

"In February, we began rolling out the ability for users to easily turn off and remove the model directly in Chrome settings," the spokesperson said. "Once disabled, the model will no longer download or update."

Google gives more information about on-device generative AI models in Chrome on this web page.

How to get rid of the AI model 

If you want to remove the 4GB AI model from your device, first check whether it's installed. 

Hanff said Chrome users will not know they have Gemini Nano unless they search for it, because "Chrome did not ask" and "Chrome does not surface it."

The easiest way to remove Gemini Nano from your device is to uninstall Chrome.

On a Mac

1. If you're using a Mac, open Finder by clicking the blue smiling face icon on the far left of the dock.
2. Then, click Go in the top menu bar and hold the Option key so that Library appears in the dropdown menu. 
3. Click Library, then navigate to Application Support > Google > Chrome > Default. See if there's a folder called OptGuideOnDeviceModel. If the folder exists and contains a file named weights.bin, the AI model was installed.
4. To permanently remove it on a Mac, open Chrome and click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner. Then click Settings, then System and toggle off On-device AI.

On a Windows device

If you're running a Windows device, there are a few ways to check whether Gemini Nano is installed.

1. One way is via a Run Command. Press the Windows key and R, paste in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel and then press Enter. If that file comes up, see if weights.bin is in there.
2. You can also use File Explorer to check whether the AI model is installed. Navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel and look for weights.bin.
3. To get rid of the AI model in Windows, open Chrome, navigate to Settings > System, and toggle off On-device AI. While still in Chrome, type chrome://flags in the address bar and search for Optimization Guide. Then, set Enables Optimization Guide on Device to Disabled.
4. Then restart Chrome by completely closing it, using the menu to exit, not just closing windows.
5. Finally, delete local files by navigating to \AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data and deleting the OptGuideOnDeviceModel folder.

Watch this: Google I/O 2026: New Gemini, Smart Glasses and a Whole New Laptop OS. Here's What to Expect

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Why does it matter?

Hanff said the push might be intended to help Google cut costs by moving AI work off its own servers and onto your computer.

"Running inference on users' own hardware allows them to push 'AI features' without the compute costs," Hanff told CNET.

AI inference is the process by which the model actually does the things you prompt it to, as opposed to the training of it, which generally happens in a data center. If it's happening on your computer instead of in the cloud, that could have an impact on things like your computer's speed or battery life, in addition to storage space the model's taking up on your hard drive.

But Hanff suggested there could be legal ramifications, at least in Europe. He suggested that the Gemini Nano install could constitute a breach of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation's principles of lawfulness, fairness and transparency. Hanff said that, considering the potential environmental impacts, Google should have announced it under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

"Google has given us every reason not to trust them with a history spanning two decades of global privacy violations at massive scale," Hanff told CNET. "So, I suspect they figured asking permission (what the law requires) would hinder their ability to push this model and, of course, whatever comes after it."

Messaging between blue and green bubbles is getting more secure. With the release of iOS 26.5, end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging will start rolling out in beta for iPhone owners and Android phone users with the latest version of Google Messages, according to a post from Apple on Monday.

End-to-end encryption protects a message's privacy and security when it's being sent from one device to another. Apple and Google have long offered encrypted messaging within iMessage and Google Messages, respectively. But this kind of encryption didn't work for RCS and SMS messages sent between iOS and Android until now.

The feature will gradually roll out to iPhone and Android users over the coming months.

For years, there's been a "blue versus green bubble" divide between iPhone and Android owners. This ranged from Android users being teased for their green bubbles breaking iMessage group threads to becoming a major social stigma, with people being bullied for not having an iPhone. 

In 2024, Apple added support for Rich Communication Services, or RCS, to the iPhone with the release of iOS 18, bringing some parity between iMessage and Google Messages but lacking end-to-end encryption across the two platforms.

It's significant that Apple and Google are working together to bring end-to-end encryption to the GSMA's RCS Universal Profile.

Cross-platform RCS chats will be encrypted for iPhone users on iOS 26.5 and Android users on the latest version of Google Messages with supported carriers. There'll be a lock icon on the chat indicating that the conversation is encrypted -- something RCS Google Messages already has. The lock will also appear in iMessage-only threads (blue bubbles) to indicate they're encrypted. 

As iMessage and Google Messages' end-to-end encryption reaches all users, it will automatically apply to new and existing RCS conversations.

Watch this: How to Enable RCS on iPhone

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Are you one of the millions of American Android users who could receive a payment from Google's $135 million lawsuit settlement? It affects people who've had Android phones going back nearly a decade, but you'll want to sign up for a claim fast, because payments may not be guaranteed after June 23, 2026.

This class action lawsuit Joseph Taylor v. Google (PDF) claims Google "effectively forces users to subsidize its surveillance by secretly programming Android devices to constantly transmit user information," which means the Android OS was automatically sending Google user data from their carriers, without users knowing or being able to opt out. According to the lawsuit, this surveillance occurred even when people shut down apps or disabled their location tracking.

The lawsuit also makes another significant allegation: that Google's data-collection practices constitute a crime called conversion. Conversion occurs when one party takes property from another with the intent to deprive them of it. No prior conversion case has ever settled for a sum as large as $135 million.

Google has denied wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled whether the company violated any laws. Regardless, Google has agreed to settle with class members, and the court has preliminarily approved the settlement payment.

"We are pleased to resolve this case, which mischaracterized standard industry practices that keep Android safe. We're providing additional disclosures to give people more information about how our services work," said Google spokesperson José Castañeda.

Where do I go to file my claim?

The official settlement website is live now, but payment is subject to the court's final approval meeting. Note that you will need to submit a Notice ID, which you should have received in a letter or email if you're eligible.

The final approval is currently scheduled for June 23. The meeting will confirm the payment amount, allocate attorneys' fees, and create a distribution plan to ensure the money reaches eligible class members. Any changes to the scheduling of the final approval meeting will be reflected on the settlement website.

If you fit all of the criteria to be a class member in this case, you're automatically eligible to receive a part of the settlement payment sometime after the final approval hearing. But you're not guaranteed to receive any money unless you select a preferred method of payment on the settlement website by June 23.

The lawsuit could have significant implications for data privacy and other data collection practices. It will also force a change to Google's terms of service. The company has agreed to obtain more explicit consent from Android users when first using new phones, including a toggle button to turn off certain types of data collection and clearer disclosure of data collection practices.

Which Android users can be part of the Google settlement?

You may have an Android phone, but that doesn't automatically make you eligible to claim money from this suit. While the settlement payment and distribution plan haven't been confirmed, there's a very specific outline detailing who is a settlement member.

In order to join, you must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be a living person in the United States or its territories.
2. Used a mobile phone with Android OS and a cellular data plan anytime between Nov. 12, 2017 and this settlement's final approval.
3. Did not participate in the class-action lawsuit Csupo v. Google LLC (PDF). This case centered on the same allegations but involved only California residents. You can not be a class member in both suits.

Android users had the option to opt out of any payments, but this choice ended on May 29. The option existed for those who wanted to pursue their own lawsuits against Google for this data surveillance. Joining the class action lawsuit would waive this ability.

How much will the Android data harvesting settlement pay?

While we don't know exactly how much each class member will receive from the settlement, there is an upper bound. Payments are capped at $100 per person, so don't expect to get more than that.

A portion of the settlement money will first be allocated to attorneys' fees, and then the rest of the cash will be equally distributed to class members. If any money is left over after the first round of distributions, it will be portioned out in a smaller second round of settlement payments to eligible members of the settlement class.

Even if you're a class member, you still have to input your preferred payment details via the official settlement website in order to guarantee the money will be distributed correctly.

Another settlement involving Google's ad targeting

This isn't the only class-action suit alleging that Google's ad targeting practices have crossed the line. Google recently agreed to a $68 million preliminary settlement in another case, this one involving Google Assistant (now being replaced with Gemini for Home).

Users alleged that smart devices used Google Assistant to listen to them without their activation, leading to ad targeting based on information they hadn't willingly shared. In that settlement, payments will be made automatically. No claim form is required to receive a payment.

The company responsible for the Commodore 64, the best-selling desktop computer model of all time, is back. And Commodore's latest unveiling feels appropriately retro: a "digital detox" flip phone called The Commodore Callback 8020.

Commodore's Callback 8020 announcement blog attributes the phone's simple throwback design to the "screen break" trend, writing that it's for customers who want a "calmer, more intentional phone." 

The Callback 8020 promises to pare back distractions and doomscrolling. It has limited touchscreen availability and no browser access. It has no work apps, no email and no AI. Social media apps are completely blacklisted from the onboard Commostore. The company has developed "patent-pending" technology that prevents users from sideloading the offending apps.

"When you're done using it, you snap it shut -- a deliberate endpoint instead of another invitation to scroll," the company wrote.

A representative for the Commodore International Corporation didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

A dumb phone revolution? 

Despite the simplicity of the Callback 8020, Commodore International says the phone is somewhere in between a smartphone and a dumb phone. It "does everything you want, nothing you don't." 

The phone has many modern features. It runs a continually updated Linux-based operating system called Sailfish OS. Commodore promises that, aside from the apps on the blacklist, the Callback 8020 can run "99% of Android apps," including apps like maps, music, rideshare, camera, games, podcasts and voice notes. 

The Callback 8020 also has a 48-megapixel camera, a MediaTek Helio G81 processor, 32GB of storage, a headphone jack and a replaceable battery. The phone's outer dome has toggleable LED lights so you can receive text and call notifications. 

David Lumb, managing editor of CNET's mobile team, said the new flip phone is part of a wider trend of companies making phones for people who want to unplug without being completely out of touch. But he's not convinced it will attract a wide range of users. 

"The Callback makes a lot of compromises that might irk modern phone users," Lumb said. "However nostalgic it is to lack a touchscreen, folks might get fed up navigating with only arrow buttons and typing texts with the T9 layout."

The phone's screen does have touch capabilities, but they only turn on when an app that needs touch controls is loaded. Lumb also pointed out the hefty $500 price tag, a tough ask for a phone with fewer features than competitors at the same price.

CNET senior writer Jeff Carlson said the Callback 8020 was almost certainly designed for people who have fond memories of using the original Commodore products. But he still has concerns about the flip phone and isn't convinced that many people want the T9 texting button layout.

One turnoff for me is the apparent widespread use of AI-generated visual assets in Callback 8020's marketing materials. The use of generative AI seems to run counter to the company's embrace of nostalgic hardware design principles and Frutiger Aero-themed visuals. The fine print on the Callback 8020's product page says that "some product images are renders" and that "some screen images are simulated."

The Commodore comeback

If you haven't heard of the Commodore as of late, that'd be understandable. While the brand was a major name in the computing industry in the 1980s, it collapsed in the '90s and has since faded into obscurity.

In July 2025, the Commodore Corporation brand and its intellectual property were purchased by YouTuber Christian "Peri Fractic" Simpson (who owns and operates the popular Retro Recipes channel) and multiple other investors. Simpson founded a new US-based company, the Commodore International Corporation, alongside talent from the original '80s-era Commodore team.

The latest iteration of Commodore seems to be delivering on the promises that Simpson made in his acquisition announcement short video, where he said that Commodore will reboot "not just as a retro brand with next-gen ideas, but as a digital detox brand, picking up right where we left off in the '90s."

The brand launched two "breadbin" desktop computers, the Commodore 64 Ultimate and Commodore 64C Ultimate, that revamp the company's most famous product for the first time in four decades.

The Callback 8020 is the first phone the new Commodore corporation has unveiled, but it's not without precedent for the computer company to grab for a small handhold in the mobile industry: The previous owners released the Commodore PET in 2015.

The Commodore Callback 8020 will be available for preorder for $500 on June 30. Certain colors raise the price up to $640. The first Callback 8020s are expected to ship by the end of the year, but no shipping date has officially been announced.