Gmail Gets Conversational on Mobile With Gemini Features
A few months back, Google introduced its AI Assistant, Gemini, for Gmail on the web. Gemini is now rolling out on Android and is “coming soon” on iOS. Gemini-powered Gmail can search through emails, refine messy drafts, and more.
The Gemini-backed Gmail Q&A feature, accessible from the black star logo in the app’s top-right corner, can read an entire email inbox. Users can ask Gemini to summarize emails with prompts like “How much did the company spend on the last marketing event?” Google explained in its blog post.
Gemini will return short summaries to such queries and cite the source emails in the answers. Like all AI models, Gemini within Gmail is prone to hallucinations, so double-checking and verifying important information with the source emails is always a good idea.
Google previewed Gmail Q&A during its I/O conference earlier this year. Before the integration of Q&A into Gmail, users could perform standard searches through the search bar. The difference is that premium subscribers will get a Gemini button next to their search bar, transforming Gmail navigation into a conversational experience. For now, Gmail Q&A can only access emails, but Google plans to expand it across Drive.
In another of its recent Gemini Gmail makeovers, Google introduced new AI writing tools on Android and iOS. One of them is a new email refining option within the “Refine my draft” tool that can enhance email writing with specific requests like “Elaborate,” “Shorten,” and “Formalize.”
Google also replaced “I’m Feeling Lucky” with “Polish.” The new “Polish” feature within the Gemini-powered “Help me write” tool can turn rough notes into professional emails with a single click or tap.
The AI writing tools are now easily accessible via shortcuts in drafts on Android and iOS. Premium subscribers will see these shortcuts popping up when opening an empty email draft next to the “attach” icon. On the other hand, the “Refine my draft” shortcut shows up below the email content for drafts at least 12 words long.
The Gemini-powered features within Gmail are only available to paid Google Workspace users with the Gemini Education or Education Premium add-on, the Gemini Business or Enterprise add-on, or the Google One AI Premium plan. These AI features are part of Google’s efforts to monetize Gemini.
