Gmail enters Gemini era: Google says your inbox will become ‘proactive’ AI assistant

By TechWatch PH Staff

Google says Gmail is “entering the Gemini era,” positioning the email service as a more “personal, proactive inbox assistant” as new AI features begin rolling out in 2026. 

In a blog, Gmail VP of Product Blake Barnes said three billion users rely on Gmail, and that AI has already played a role in features like Smart Replies and AI-powered spam blocking. 

The new push centers on three changes Google says it is introducing: AI Overviews, expanded writing assistance, and an upcoming AI Inbox.

AI Overviews: summaries now, Q&A later

Google said that Gmail will now generate AI Overviews that summarize long email threads into key points. Google also says users will be able to ask their inbox questions in natural language, with Gemini generating an AI Overview answer—though Google frames this as a separate capability from the thread summaries. 

Google says conversation-summary AI Overviews are rolling out “today” and will be available “for everyone at no cost,” while the question-and-answer version of AI Overviews (asking your inbox questions) will be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. 

Writing tools: broader rollout, with some features tied to subscriptions

Google says “Help me write” can be used to polish or draft emails, and that “Suggested Replies” will use conversation context to offer one-click responses that match how you write. Google also describes a “Proofread” feature for advanced grammar, tone, and style checks, but says this one is for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. 

Google adds that it plans to update Help me write “next month” to improve personalization by bringing context from other Google apps—presented as a planned change rather than something already live. 

AI Inbox: testing first, broader access later

Google says it is giving “trusted testers” access to a new AI Inbox view before rolling it out more broadly in the “coming months.” The company describes AI Inbox as a personalized briefing that highlights to-dos and prioritizes important messages, using signals such as people you email frequently and those in your contacts list. 

Google also claims this analysis happens “securely,” with privacy protections meant to keep data “under your control,” but the post does not provide technical detail beyond that high-level description. 

Rollout scope

Google says these capabilities begin rolling out “today” in the U.S., starting in English, with more languages and regions planned “in the coming months.” It also says many improvements are enabled by Gemini 3.