An old address disappears from the conversation list, then turns up in another AI response. Before concluding that the delete button failed, check where the assistant could have found it. A past chat and a connected service are different sources.
The steps below use Gemini’s documented behaviour as an example. Other assistants have their own controls. Even within Gemini, work and school accounts can differ from personal accounts.
Choose what you want to change
There are several distinct goals: remove a conversation, stop personalisation from past chats, or disconnect another source of information. Write down the goal before changing settings. If you just want a less personalised response, deleting every conversation may be more than you intended.
For eligible personal accounts, Gemini has a Memory setting for using past chats. Turning it off changes personalisation; it is not the same action as deleting those chats. Keep Activity and deletion controls also need to be read separately.
Follow the information to its sources
Google’s instructions say to remove all chats containing a fact if you want Gemini to stop remembering that fact from past conversations. Deleting only the latest mention can leave earlier mentions available. Changes may take a little time to affect responses.
If the information also comes from a connected app, Google describes two steps: delete the relevant chats and disconnect that app. Either step alone can leave another source available. Disconnecting an app does not itself edit the original email, calendar or document stored there.
Check settings, not just the assistant’s reply
Return to the activity list, Memory setting and connected-app list to verify your changes. If you shared a conversation publicly, manage that link separately: Google notes that deleting the chat does not delete its public link.
Asking “What do you remember about me?” can help you explore the experience, but the answer is not an audit of stored data. Likewise, disappearance from a sidebar is not proof that every retained copy has already been erased; retention and deletion are explained separately in the provider’s privacy documentation.
For a manageable first review, choose one outdated detail and trace it through the relevant settings rather than repeatedly feeding it back into new chats.