Highlights
- Google is making three AI Gmail features free for all personal accounts in the United States.
- Help Me Write generates full email drafts and offers refinement options across web, Android, and iOS.
- Suggested Replies now personalises responses to match your tone and writing style.
- AI summaries are for long threads to help users catch up quickly.
(Photo by Stephen Phillips – Hostreviews.co.uk on Unsplash)
Google has announced that three AI-driven Gmail features are now available for free to all personal account users in the United States. Previously, these tools were restricted to subscribers of Google AI Pro or Ultra plans. With this change, Google is expanding access to popular AI capabilities directly within Gmail. Here’s more on all features.
“Help Me Write” Feature
One of the newly free tools is “Help Me Write,” which allows users to generate complete email drafts by entering simple prompts. Similar to Apple Intelligence’s Writing Tools, the feature also offers refinement options such as Formalise, Elaborate, and Shorten.
Users can additionally apply Polish to emails they have already written. The feature is accessible on the web, Android, and iOS. It can be activated by tapping the pen icon marked with an AI Spark badge.
Smarter, Personalised Suggested Replies
Gmail is also rolling out personalised Suggested Replies, an upgraded version of Smart Replies. Instead of offering generic responses, this feature analyses the context of an email conversation and adapts to a user’s writing style and tone.
For instance, if a colleague asks to reschedule a meeting, Suggested Replies can generate a response that mirrors how the user typically communicates. The draft can then be reviewed and edited before being sent.
AI Summaries for Long Email Threads
The third feature now available for free is AI summaries for lengthy email conversations. When users open long threads, an AI Overview card may appear at the top, presenting a concise, bulleted summary of the key discussion points. This helps users quickly catch up without scrolling through multiple messages.
All three AI features are rolling out starting today for personal Gmail users in the US. The broader global availability is reportedly planned for a later date.
Google Previews Upcoming “AI Inbox” Experience
Alongside these updates, Google has also previewed a new “AI Inbox” feature expected to arrive in the coming months. This redesigned inbox will appear as an alternative view next to the traditional inbox and will offer a personalised briefing that highlights important information without requiring users to open individual emails.
The AI Inbox will include a “Suggested to-dos” section that surfaces bills, reminders, and short-term tasks, as well as a “Topics to catch up on” area that provides context for messages that are important but not immediately actionable.
According to Google, the feature is currently available to Trusted Testers and will be rolled out more widely later this year.
FAQ
Q1. What AI features in Gmail are now free for personal users in the US?
Answer. Help Me Write, personalised Suggested Replies, and AI summaries for long email threads are now free for personal Gmail accounts in the United States; they were previously limited to Google AI Pro/Ultra subscribers.
Q2. How does Gmail Help Me Write work and where can I use it?
Answer. Help Me Write generates full email drafts from simple prompts, offers refinement options like Formalize, Elaborate, Shorten, and a Polish tool for existing text; it’s available on web, Android, and iOS and is accessed via the pen icon with an AI spark badge.
Q3. What is the Gmail AI Inbox and when will it be available?
Answer. The AI Inbox is a previewed alternative inbox view that provides a personalised briefing with Suggested to‑dos and Topics to catch up on; it’s currently with Trusted Testers and will roll out more widely later this year.