What is Gemini CLI YOLO mode? (and how to use it safely)
YOLO is a Gemini CLI approval mode that auto-approves every tool call, including shell commands and file writes. Current versions enable it only from the command line (--approval-mode=yolo, or the deprecated --yolo / -y). It can't be set as the default in settings.json.
Stats from the 2026-10-20 snapshot of public GitHub configs (methodology). Behavior checked against the official docs linked below.
Approval modes
default prompts for each tool call. auto_edit auto-approves edit tools (replace, write_file) and prompts for others. plan is read-only. yolo approves everything. In settings.json, general.defaultApprovalMode accepts default, auto_edit or plan.
Using it more safely
gemini --sandbox --approval-mode=yoloRestricting tools instead
{
"general": {
"defaultApprovalMode": "auto_edit"
},
"tools": {
"core": [
"read_file",
"glob",
"search_file_content",
"replace",
"write_file",
"run_shell_command(git status)",
"run_shell_command(npm test)"
]
}
}What public configs do
Older configs could switch YOLO/auto-accept on from a committed settings file. Of 85 unique public Gemini CLI configs that set any permission keys, 42.4% did. That is a small sample, so treat it as indicative. Organizations can disable YOLO at the policy level.
FAQ
Is --yolo deprecated?
Yes. The CLI reference marks --yolo deprecated in favor of --approval-mode=yolo.