What you need to know
- Google highlighted the start of its rollout of Gemini's Q&A for Gmail on Android devices.
- Q&A lets users ask Gemini to surface unread emails for the day or week, with the added ability to create a personal query.
- Gemini's Q&A mirrors the side panel of tools Google rolled out for Gmail's web version in June, which expanded to include a few Workspace apps.
Google's Gemini AI smarts have grown once again, as the company details an update for Gmail that could be a time saver.
As detailed in a Workspace blog post, Gemini's Q&A feature on Android mirrors the AI's side panel view available on Gmail's web version. Users should notice Gemini's typical star icon beside the search bar as the update becomes available. Tapping it will produce a small menu with a few pre-made questions.
Gemini can show you unread emails, unread emails from "this week," and the status of any orders you're expecting.
Users can skip these pre-made options and hit the text box beneath that for a question about a specific need. Google states that you can use your custom prompt to instruct Gemini to summarize emails about a topic or to find conversations between a specific person/contact.
Google adds that Gemini's Q&A can also be accessed from the "summarize this email" chip when viewing a conversation.
The AI model's latest productivity feature is rolling out for Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium, and Google One AI Premium add-on users.
The update has started rolling out today (August 29) and may take up to 15 days to complete for rapid/scheduled release domains. With Android users receiving this today, iOS folks will have to wait a little longer.
The company then teased that Gemini's Q&A feature on Android will soon extend to encompass a user's Drive content. Google didn't provide a concrete timeframe aside from "in the future."
In June, Google detailed a substantial update for Gmail — though it was primarily for web-based users. The post highlighted the AI's inclusion in Gmail's sidebar on computers, packed with summarization, reply suggestions, and more. Additionally, Gemini's ability to understand a user's direct query about information in an email stood out.
Google highlighted the expanded capabilities of Gemini's side panel, which ropes in Workspace apps like Docs, Slides, and Drive. For those apps, the AI can polish your writing, offer tips, and "creatively generate new content" from your Cloud-stored files. This is likely the direction Google is heading with its Q&A expansion coming up for Gmail on Android in the future.
