Last summer, Google added the ability for Gemini in Gmail to summarize individual messages or long email threads. It was an especially useful feature for catching up on an email chain while you’re on the go or if you were on a smaller screen, like your phone.
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The only drawback was that you had to manually start the “Summarize this email” process from the Gemini sidebar. That’s changing, at least for some users.
Automatic summary cards
In an announcement yesterday, Google says those summary cards will now appear automatically for Workspace users.
Starting this week, mobile users will begin seeing summaries at the top of email messages when Gemini determines it’s helpful — for example, in a long thread, or in messages with several replies. Google says Gemini will combine all key points from the emails, noting that the summary will change as new replies come in.
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If a message doesn’t have an automatic summary, you can still use the Gemini sidebar method or look for the “Summarize this email” chip at the top.
Availability
This feature is only available for emails in English right now and only for mobile users. Google says the automatic summaries add-on is rolling out gradually, meaning it may take up to two weeks to appear on your account. It’s available for Workspace accounts on both Android and iOS devices.
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Gemini seems to be a reliable product, but given the nature of AI in general, it’s always best to make sure these summaries are correct.
How to turn off summaries
If you’d rather not see these summaries, you can turn Gemini off in Gmail, but that means you lose access to all of its other features too, like suggesting replies, drafting messages, finding information from a previous message, getting details about Google Calendar events, and adding events to your Google Calendar.
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Here’s how to turn off Gemini in Gmail: Head to the settings gear at the top right, then find “All Settings.” Scroll until you see “Workspace smart features” and tap “Manage Workspace smart feature settings.” You’ll see the toggle for “Smart features in Google Workspace.”
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