Back up your Gemini chats before deleting them (2026)

In Gemini, deleting a chat from your pinned and recent chats also deletes its Gemini Apps Activity and any content created in that chat, such as Canvas docs and apps (Gemini Apps Help). Google says it starts removing deleted activity right away: it aims to take it out of view immediately, then runs a process to delete it from its storage systems (Manage & delete your activity). Chats that were already reviewed by human reviewers are not deleted when you delete your activity; Google keeps them for up to three years (Gemini Apps Privacy Hub).

Gemini can also delete chats without you doing anything: by default, Gemini Apps activity older than 18 months is auto-deleted, and you can change that to 3 or 36 months or turn it off. So a backup is worth making even if you are not planning to delete.

1. Download your Gemini data with Google Takeout

Google's steps (Download your Gemini Apps data):

  1. Go to takeout.google.com, signed in to the same Google Account you use for Gemini, and click Deselect all.
  2. Your chats are under My Activity, not under the box called "Gemini" (that one is your Gems). Tick My Activity, click All activity data included, choose Deselect all, tick Gemini Apps and click Ok. Tick Gemini as well if you want your Gems.
  3. Click Next step, pick a delivery method and file type, and create the export.

Google says it can take a few hours to a few days, most people get the link the same day, and an emailed download link stays active for 7 days. Downloading does not delete anything from Google's servers. We have not tested the contents of the Takeout archive, so this page does not describe its format.

2. Save the chats you'll reread as Markdown

For the conversations you care about, a readable copy helps. ThreadVault (disclosure: we make it) is a Chrome extension that exports chats from your signed-in gemini.google.com tab as Markdown plus JSON, built in your browser so your chats never touch our servers.

  1. Open gemini.google.com in Chrome. If you have more than one Google account, check that the tab is on the account you want to back up (the address may include /u/1/ or similar).
  2. For one chat: open it, click the ThreadVault icon and choose Export this chat. You get one Markdown file.
  3. For many: click Bulk export, then Check connection and Refresh library, tick the chats you want (or Select all shown), and export. You get one ZIP named like ThreadVault-gemini-2026-11-13.zip.
  4. Unzip it into a dated folder. Inside, a gemini/ folder holds a Markdown file and a matching JSON file for each chat, and manifest.json lists what was exported and any chat that could not be read.

Each Markdown file starts with YAML frontmatter (title, dates, source: gemini and the chat's url), then the conversation as ## You and ## Gemini sections, oldest first. We tested single-chat and bulk export on a real Gemini test account before the 1.2.4 release in November 2026, on an account that was not the browser's default (a /u/2/ address): the visible text, turn order and code blocks came through, the links in the files kept the right account address, and the ZIP held the manifest plus a .md and a .json for each chat. Images, uploads, Canvas, Gems and work or school accounts were not part of that test, so keep the Takeout download for those.

3. Check the backup

Open a few files, including your longest chat, and make sure the answers and code are there. Compare manifest.json with the chats you meant to keep. Only then delete.

4. Delete

On a personal account, pinning, renaming and deleting recent chats only work while Keep Activity is on. If you turn Keep Activity off, Google still keeps new chats with your account for up to 72 hours, and they don't appear in your activity.

Don't forget public links and Gems

Deleting a shared chat does not delete its public link, and deleting a public link does not delete the chat. Remove links at Settings, Your public links on gemini.google.com (Share your chats). Deleting a conversation with a Gem doesn't delete the Gem itself.

Steps and retention facts are from Google's Gemini Apps Help and the Gemini Apps Privacy Hub as checked on 13 November 2026. Menus change now and then, so follow what the app shows.

Pricing

ThreadVault is free for 25 threads on this browser. Unlimited is $9 for the first 50 buyers, then $19, one-time, inside the extension. No subscription. It also exports Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Microsoft Copilot chats.

Keep a readable copy before you delete. ThreadVault bulk-exports your Gemini chats to Markdown plus JSON in one ZIP, locally in your browser. Free for 25 threads.
Add ThreadVault to Chrome Learn more

Related guides

Not affiliated with Google. Gemini is a trademark of Google LLC. Last checked November 13, 2026 against Google's Gemini Apps Help, the Gemini Apps Privacy Hub and ThreadVault 1.2.4. Questions or corrections: hello@loomwise.app.