Prime Highlight

• Google has unveiled a personalized AI Inbox and smarter search features to help users manage emails more proactively and reduce clutter.
• The update moves Gmail closer to a fully AI-powered email assistant while keeping all AI tools optional for users.

Key Facts

• The AI Inbox includes “Suggested to-dos” and “Topics to catch up on,” and is rolling out first to trusted testers before a wider launch.
• New features like AI Overviews in search and the Proofread writing assistant are available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Background

Google has unveiled a major update to Gmail, introducing a personalized AI Inbox, smarter search tools, and a built-in proofreading feature. The new tools are meant to assist users in managing their emails more easily and reducing daily clutter.

The AI Inbox adds a new tab that users can switch on or off. It includes two sections. The first, “Suggested to-dos,” highlights emails that need action, such as bill reminders or follow-up calls. The second, “Topics to catch up on,” groups updates like online purchases, bank notices, and delivery alerts into categories such as “Finances” and “Purchases.”

Blake Barnes, Google’s vice president for product, said the goal is to make Gmail more proactive while keeping the traditional inbox unchanged. Google has started rolling out the AI Inbox to trusted testers and plans a wider launch in the coming months.

Gmail search has also gained AI Overviews. Users can now type questions in plain language instead of using keywords to search. For example, a user can ask who gave a quote last year, and Gmail will find the answer in their emails. Google is giving this feature to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Another new addition is Proofread, a built-in writing assistant that checks drafts for clarity, word choice, and grammar. It suggests better phrasing, fixes wrong words, and helps split long sentences. The tool is similar to services like Grammarly and is also available to paid subscribers.

Google said all AI tools are optional and that it does not use personal email content to train its main models. It added that personal data is processed in a separate and secure environment.

Alongside these launches, Google is expanding several AI tools to all Gmail users. These include “Help Me Write,” which creates emails from a prompt, AI summaries for long threads, and smart Suggested Replies.

With these updates, Gmail moves closer to becoming a fully AI-powered email assistant.