What changed
Google’s October 26 release notes say new paid-tier Gemini API projects now store Generate Content requests by default. This matters to developers and experienced technicians building applications that send prompts. Existing projects retain their current setting. The announcement provides a date, not a verified first-publication hour. [1]
The affected methods are generateContent, streamGenerateContent, and batchGenerateContent. New projects now default to store=true, matching the existing Interactions API behavior. This is an API-project configuration change, not an announcement about consumer Gemini chat history. [1]
Check the controls and retention
To disable this logging, use store=false for an individual request or turn off Generate Content API logging in the project’s AI Studio Logs and Datasets settings. The request property overrides the project default. Check Google’s minimum SDK versions before relying on the flag; the documentation lists different requirements by language. [1][2]
Logs have a 55-day default window, after which they expire and are marked for deletion. Shorter project windows can be configured. Logs saved into a dataset do not expire under that log-retention rule. A scheduled expiry is not a promise of immediate erasure. [2]
Saving logs and choosing to share datasets with Google for Gemini improvement are separate controls. The guide also excludes some models, agents, and input types from logging support; read its current limitations for your workload. [2]
Our take
Treat a new project as a fresh configuration review, even when reusing familiar application code. Record the project default, inspect the client version and any explicit request setting, and decide which information is appropriate to submit. Keep that decision separate from whether a dataset should be shared.
A storage switch alone does not establish an application’s complete data handling or a universal no-retention guarantee. We have not inspected a paid account, sent a test request, or tested an SDK. Follow the current documentation and your organization’s requirements.