Google announced that it will be implementing a number of Gemini-based features into Gmail, transforming the inbox into a personalized, proactive assistant. Google explained that Gmail currently has 3 billion users. While features like Smart Reply and AI-based spam blocking have been available, the company believes that with email traffic reaching record levels, the burden of searching and organizing has grown.
The key feature of this update is AI Overview. When you open a long threaded message, Gmail summarizes the entire conversation, providing a concise summary of key points. Gemini will also understand natural language queries and generate answers when you ask questions in your inbox. For example, if you ask, "Who was the plumber who gave me an estimate for my bathroom remodel last year?", Gemini will find relevant emails and provide a summary of the information you need.
Google announced that AI Overview in the form of conversation summaries is available to all users free of charge starting today. The ability to ask questions and get answers in your inbox is available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
Writing assistance features are also being enhanced. Help Me Lite, which can be used to refine sentences or rewrite drafts, is available for free to all users starting today. Suggested replies, an evolution of Smart Reply, are also being introduced. Suggested replies read the context of a conversation and suggest one-click responses tailored to your writing style. Google cites the example of a family gathering where someone asks if you'd like to bring cake or pie, and instantly suggests a response that reflects your tone.
A proofreading feature that provides more detailed grammar and tone checks will also be added. This feature offers advanced grammar review, tone adjustments, and style checks, and is available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Google added that starting next month, Help Me Lite will bring in context from other Google apps to further personalize it.
Google also unveiled AI Inbox, which reorganizes the inbox itself. AI Inbox aims to reduce unnecessary noise by extracting important tasks from important emails and presenting them in a condensed brief format. Google explained that it identifies VIPs by leveraging contact information and relationship signals inferred from message content, along with frequently exchanged email contacts. The idea is to help elevate high-risk events like bill due dates or dental appointments. AI Inbox will initially be available to trusted testers and will be expanded in the coming months.
Google says these features are made possible by Gemini 3. The update will be available in the US starting with English, with plans to expand to more languages and regions in the future.
