TL;DR: Smartphone users of Gmail are about to see a new layer of GenAI woven directly into their inboxes. Google has begun rolling out automatic AI-generated summaries for emails, a move that shifts the company's Gemini assistant from an optional tool to a more visible, default feature for many account holders.
Until now, users seeking a quick overview of a lengthy email thread or a message with multiple replies had to tap a "Summarize this email" button to prompt Gemini to generate a summary. That step is no longer necessary.
The Gmail app for Android and iPhone will now automatically display a summary card at the top of certain emails, with Gemini deciding when it might be helpful – typically for longer conversations or threads with several responses.
These summaries, presented as concise bullet points, update dynamically as new replies are added to the conversation. The goal is to keep users informed without requiring them to scroll through the entire thread.
The feature is initially rolling out to Google Workspace customers, Google One AI Premium subscribers, and those with Gemini Education add-ons. For now it's also limited to emails written in English and is only available on mobile.
Google says the rollout will take about two weeks. There is no word yet on when, or if, the feature will expand to standard Gmail accounts or desktop users, though the company's recent moves suggest a broader rollout may be on the horizon.
For those who prefer to manage their messages without AI assistance, there is an opt-out – though it comes with trade-offs. Disabling automatic summaries requires turning off Gmail's "smart features," which also deactivates other tools such as high-priority notifications, package tracking, Smart Compose, and Smart Reply. Even with smart features turned off, users can still manually request a summary when needed.
The tech behind these summaries draws on advances in large language models, which also power chatbots and other AI assistants. Conversely, Google would be feeding your email text into their LLMs for further training.
Google's push to make AI summaries a core part of the Gmail experience reflects a broader trend across its products. The tech behind these summaries draws on advances in large language models, which also power chatbots and other AI assistants. Conversely, Google would be feeding your email text into their LLMs for further training. Summarization, in particular, is seen as a practical application of GenAI, especially for users who frequently deal with long or complex email threads.
While the feature promises to save time and help users quickly identify key points in their inboxes, it also raises questions about the balance between convenience and control.
Some may appreciate the streamlined experience, while others might find the automatic summaries intrusive or unnecessary, especially for shorter messages. For now, Google is betting that most will welcome the change as it continues to make AI an increasingly central part of the Gmail experience.