Google is enhancing its Gmail service with Gemini AI, introducing automatic summarization for lengthy email threads on Android and iOS devices. This update means users will see concise, AI-generated overviews at the top of verbose conversations without needing to manually trigger the feature. The feature aims to save users time and improve comprehension of complex email exchanges.
These “Gemini summary cards” are available now for Gmail users on Rapid Release domains. A broader deployment to Scheduled Release domains began on May 29, and is expected to take up to 15 days. Initially, the automated summaries are provided in English and will dynamically update as new replies are added to a thread. This development is a significant step in Google’s overarching strategy to deeply integrate its Gemini AI capabilities across its product suite, a vision prominently featured at the recent Google I/O 2025 conference.
Navigating Your Inbox with AI Precision
The automatically generated summaries will appear as bullet points, highlighting key aspects of an email discussion. Under the hood, Gmail is leveraging Google’s Gemini 1.5 model for this task, employing techniques like tokenization and thread flattening. The same source suggests summaries are typically triggered for messages exceeding approximately 200 words or threads with more than three replies, with the AI generating three to five bullet points with a latency of around 300 milliseconds.
Google’s internal tests indicate a high degree of effectiveness. The company says it achieves an average summarization ratio of 8:1—compressing 800 words into 100-word summaries—with a ROUGE-L score above 0.72, ensuring high semantic fidelity. This efficiency is central to making email management less cumbersome.
Previously, users had to click a “Summarize this email” button, but now these AI-generated key points will appear proactively where Google deems them most beneficial.
User Control and Feature Interdependencies
Activation of these automatic summaries is tied to having smart features enabled within Gmail, Chat, Meet, and Google Workspace. For organizations, administrators can manage the default personalization settings for their users through the Admin console. However, users choosing to disable the automatic AI summaries should be aware of the trade-offs.
Doing so will also deactivate other smart functionalities, including high-priority notifications, package tracking, Smart Compose, Smart Reply, and nudges. Upcoming features like Personalized Smart Replies would also be affected.
It’s also noteworthy that these smart features are off by default in Europe and Japan, according to Google’s help page. For instances where a summary doesn’t automatically appear, or if users prefer manual control, the option to trigger a summary via the existing chip or the Gemini side panel remains available.
Availability, Perspectives, and Privacy
The automatic summarization feature is accessible to users with various Google Workspace subscriptions (Business Starter, Standard, Plus; Enterprise Starter, Standard, Plus), Google One AI Premium subscribers (now part of the rebranded Google AI Pro tier), and customers with Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-ons.
Furthermore, users who had previously purchased the “Gemini Business” or “Gemini Enterprise” add-ons will also receive this feature, though these specific add-ons are no longer offered for sale.
The utility of such a feature has sparked some discussion. Ron Richards, co-host of the Android Faithful podcast, questioned the time-saving aspect of summaries over reading the email itself, but conceded, “I can see where this can be helpful for long emails or long threads maybe.”
However, he also acknowledged the broader trend: “That ship has sailed. And not just from Google, but across the industry, from Google to Apple to Microsoft. AI is here … and it’s not going to go away. It’s a matter of how you choose to interact with it and use it or leverage it for your needs or not.”
Regarding privacy, the update itself might not pose new security concerns, although questions about data handling remain. Google has stated that “existing Google Workspace protections are automatically applied” and that Gemini operates with the same security standards as the rest of Google Workspace.
Users can refer to Google’s Privacy Hub site for more information on Google’s AI data policies. Currently, the automatic summaries are focused on mobile devices, and Google has not yet provided a specific timeline for a desktop version or availability for non-Workspace Gmail accounts.
Last Updated on July 9, 2025 2:23 pm CEST
