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At Google I/O this year, nearly every presenter previewed a new way to use the company’s Gemini AI in another Google product. Even Gmail, one of Google’s earliest and most successful products, is getting an infusion of generative AI, and those features are rolling out now on Android phones with a paid Gemini subscription. As soon as you see the Gemini “twinkle” button, you can start quizzing Gemini about your email.
Google calls this feature “Gmail Q&A,” and that’s a pretty good description. With Gemini turned loose on your email, you can ask it almost any question gleaned from those messages. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work in theory. This feature was available on the Pixel 9 series at launch, and I’ve spent a good deal of time tinkering with it over the past few weeks.
Gmail Q&A is running on the same generative AI technology as the Gemini chatbot, which lies often enough that Google has a permanent disclaimer warning in the chat. You still have to worry about untruths with Gmail Q&A, but the focus on your personal data makes it more useful more of the time. You can, for instance, ask Gemini to summarize the content of a long email thread or inquire about specific pieces of information from your email, like when a free trial will run out or how much you spent on something based on the email invoice. Gemini will cite the emails that inform its answers so you can look at the source.
Gemini in the Gmail app for Android.
Credit: Google
While I was testing the Pixel 9 series, I was intermittently impressed and dismayed by Gemini in Gmail. There were moments when it really felt like the digital assistant that I always wanted, but there was always another shoe waiting to drop. At one point, Gemini told me it couldn’t access my Gmail data for privacy reasons before admitting that wasn’t true—you still have to outsmart generative AI sometimes.
This feature is rolling out widely on Android devices now, but it could take up to 15 days to appear on your device. When Gmail Q&A is ready, you’ll see the Gemini sparkle icon in the upper right corner. There will also be a summarize button at the top of emails. After the Android rollout is complete, the same features will come to the iOS Gmail app, but Google doesn’t have a specific timeline for that.
Google’s premium AI subscription costs $20 per month for an individual user. In addition to the new Gmail features, you get the more powerful Gemini Advanced model, integration with other products like Drive, and 2TB of cloud storage. It’s a tough sell unless you’re totally invested in Google’s ecosystem, but Gemini is going to show up more whether you’re paying or not.