Google Makes Visible Gemini Watermarks Optional

Google just made it a lot easier to make your AI creations look less, well, AI.

Gemini users will soon be able to switch off the visible watermark that stamps AI-generated images, videos and songs, according to an announcement from Google VP Josh Woodward on X.

The setting applies to content made with Google’s Nano Banana image model, Omni video model and Lyria music model. It’s rolling out first in Gemini and Google’s video editor, Flow, with support for Google Search “coming next,” Woodward said.

Once live, users will find the option under Settings > Media Watermark, per Google’s support documentation. Flip it off, and the small sparkle icon that normally sits in the corner of AI-made images and videos disappears.

The watermark is gone, but the label isn’t

Gemini-generated media will continue to contain an invisible SynthID watermark, while C2PA Content Credentials will provide information about the content’s origin. Google says these systems remain in place even when users disable the visible mark.

That distinction matters because visible labels are designed for quick recognition, while invisible systems require someone to actively check the content. Users can upload an image, video or audio file to Gemini and ask whether it was AI-generated. Gemini can detect SynthID from Google AI and inspect compatible Content Credentials, but a missing SynthID signal does not rule out content made with another company’s AI system.

Woodward said the company is trying to balance competing needs.

“We’re striking a balance here between creative control and safety: while the visible watermarks are now optional, invisible SynthID watermarks and C2PA metadata are still being used for transparency. So you can still use Gemini or Search to see if an image was AI-generated.”

The company has also open-sourced Credentio, a C++ library that lets developers validate C2PA Content Credentials locally. Google says content-credential generation and embedding capabilities are planned for a future release.

Not everyone gets the option

The feature will not be available everywhere. Google says visible watermarks will remain mandatory in countries where the law requires them.

Its support documentation also says users in India, South Korea and Vietnam will only see the setting with an AI Ultra subscription. Otherwise, visible watermarks will remain on their Gemini-generated media. Work and school accounts will not get the setting either.

Google’s approach also contrasts with the growing regulatory pressure around AI labeling. Some jurisdictions are moving toward mandatory visible labeling, while other AI companies are relying more heavily on invisible markers and metadata.

What changes for users

The decision could make Gemini more useful for designers, marketers and other creators who find visible marks distracting or unsuitable for finished work. It also reflects a broader shift in how AI companies think about labeling: instead of forcing every user to display an obvious marker, Google is putting more weight on behind-the-scenes verification.

But that comes with a tradeoff. Visible watermarks let ordinary viewers identify AI-made content instantly. Removing them means people may have to take an extra step to verify what they are seeing.

That could become increasingly important as AI-generated images, video and music become harder to distinguish from human-made work. Google is betting that invisible provenance tools can preserve that transparency without putting a visible mark on every piece of content.

For creators, that is a meaningful improvement. For everyone else, it means the AI label may no longer be sitting right in front of them.

Read more: Google is also changing how it identifies synthetic commercial content, with new AI disclosure labels for ads across Search, YouTube and Discover.