How can I turn off Google Gemini™ and AI features in Gmail™?

Why You Might Want to Turn Off Gemini™ AI Features in Your Gmail™ Inbox

Google Gemini™ integration in Gmail™ offers a range of AI-powered conveniences designed to streamline your email experience. Features like summarizing lengthy email threads, suggesting quick replies, helping you draft emails, and even pulling information from your Drive or Calendar can indeed be time-savers.

However, for users who prefer a more traditional and focused approach to email management, or those who find AI interventions like auto-suggested responses or summarizations more distracting than helpful, these features can clutter the interface and interrupt workflow. If you value deep focus even while managing your inbox, or if you simply prefer to craft every response manually without AI prompts, you might want to disable these tools.

Locating the Master Control for AI Features

If you’re looking to achieve a cleaner, less AI-intrusive Gmail™ experience by disabling features like suggested replies, email summarization prompts, and the general Gemini side panel, the setting is located directly within Gmail™. It’s important to note that this same setting also controls these smart features across other Google Workspace apps like Docs™ and Sheets™.

Step-by-Step Guide to Disabling Gemini™ AI in Gmail™:

Here’s how to turn them off:

1. Open Gmail™ on your computer.
2. Click the Settings icon (the cogwheel ⚙️) in the top right corner.
3. Select See all settings.
4. Ensure you are in the General tab (this is usually the default). Scroll down until you find the section titled “Smart features and personalization in other Google products” (the exact wording might vary slightly, e.g., “Google Workspace smart features,” or simply “Smart features and personalization”).
5. Within this section, you should see a toggle or a link like “Manage Workspace smart feature settings” or options to enable/disable these features.
6. Toggle off the smart features or personalization options that control features across Google products. This action will disable the Gemini AI features within Gmail™ itself, as well as in Google Docs™, Sheets™, and other integrated Workspace services.

(Optional: You might need to refresh Gmail™ for the changes to take full effect.)

By turning these settings off, you should find that the Gemini integrations, such as prompts to summarize threads, suggest replies, or help draft emails, are disabled within your Gmail™ interface. This will provide a more straightforward email environment, allowing for more focused communication.

Important Note: As mentioned, disabling these smart features in Gmail™ also turns them off across other integrated Google Workspace apps. There isn’t currently a separate control for only Gmail’s AI features if you wish to keep them active in Docs or Sheets, for example.

Tailor Your Inbox for Optimal Focus

While AI brings powerful tools to our digital communication, having the ability to manage their presence is vital for maintaining personal productivity habits and concentration. By adjusting these settings, you can ensure your Gmail™ environment is optimized for how you work best.

Happy (focused) emailing!