If you use Gmail, you’ve probably noticed the Gemini AI features now in your inbox. Previously an add-on that you had to activate, Gemini is now in your face whenever you’re typing emails, scrolling your inbox and working in Google Drive.
For some, it’s a welcome addition. For others, it’s a privacy concern (or just plain annoying). Though it’s worth mentioning that Google has always had access to emails in Gmail, and privacy promises by big tech are flimsy at best. But giving AI access to inboxes and making it hard to opt out should be cause for concern.
Gemini AI launched in December 2023 and has been rolling out features across Google’s ecosystem since then. As of January 2025, Gemini AI became a free feature in Gmail for Google Workspace users — over three billion users globally.
If you prefer to keep Gemini out of Gmail, here’s what you need to do.
Where to find Gemini in your Gmail
In your Gmail inbox, you’ll spot Gemini in a few places — in the top right-hand side next to settings, in email drafts and in email chains.
You’ll also see it in Google Drive, Docs and other workspace views.
I hadn’t actually played around with Gemini in Gmail yet, so before I got rid of it, I wanted to see what it could do. I opened a new email message and clicked on the “help me write” button and saw the scrolling prompts for different needs. Things like “write to my partner wishing them a happy anniversary,” “a thank you letter for my job interview” and “an apology to my child’s teacher for their absence.”
These prompts were irrelevant for me, so I added one in: “a follow up for my recent call with Veronika.” But it wasn’t very intelligent, as it didn’t even pull from the previous email conversation with Veronika or make note of the meeting we had this week — it just came back with a generic email that could be for anyone.
I’ve even had trouble with human assistants drafting emails for me because they lack personalization, which is important to building relationships as a freelancer.
Gemini could come in handy summarizing past email chains, especially when trying to recall old conversations. I picked a current email conversation that had a history over four years and clicked “summarize this email.”
The summary was helpful as a refresher, but nothing that would have had a huge impact on my productivity. At this stage, having Gemini in Gmail still feels like a distraction.
For the time being, until I know more about how my data is used (beyond a generic T&Cs promise that’s hard to interpret), I prefer it toggled off.
How to turn off Gemini AI Gmail
Here’s how to turn off Gemini:
- Log into your Gmail account.
- Click on Settings (the cog icon in the top-right bar).
- Press See all settings.
- In the General tab, scroll down to Google Workplace smart features and click on the button.
- Turn off smart features in Google Workspace and click Save. This will block Gemini AI from Gmail, Chat, Meet and Drive. You can remove Gemini from Google Maps, Wallet, Google Assistant and the Gemini app, too.
What’s frustrating about the toggle function is the lack of customization. For example, I don’t want Gemini AI in my Gmail, but I would like to show events from Gmail in my Google Calendar, such as upcoming flights. So, there might be a testing period after you’ve toggled it off to see if you prefer the functionality.
I checked back in Gmail after I toggled Gemini off. Both the “help me write” and “summarize this email” prompts had disappeared from my inbox.
When I clicked on the “help me write” icon in the email bar, it opened a message asking if I wanted to turn it on.
Remember, it’s still early days with AI in email, so even if you choose to turn it off now, you can reactivate it down the track. The longer AI tools are on the market, the better they get, so there’s no need to rule it out forever.
With all AI tools, stay curious but cautious.