There’s no avoiding Gemini and AI within Google products at this point. Google is putting Gemini or AI in every conceivable place in order to find spots that stick or get the most use. The latest example of that, following a lengthy Google I/O opening keynote, is in Gmail’s search function.
Today, Google introduced Gmail Live, a voice-activated way to search your inbox. The idea here is that you might be on the go and don’t have time to type out a search query and could instead just talk to Gmail by voice. Think of it like Gemini Live only in Gmail.
Google describes it this way:
When you’re on the go, you don’t have time to dig through emails. With Gmail Live, you can just ask for what you need. Say things like, “What’s my flight’s gate number?” or “What’s going on at my kid’s school this week?” and Gmail Live will search your inbox to find the answer instantly.
To activate it, you would tap on the voice or Live icon in the search bar of Gmail and then start talking to it, just like you do in Gemini Live. In the example above, a person asked Gmail Live if they need to bring anything to kindergarten today for their child? Gmail Live responded by saying, Yes, today is Show & Tell” day, which it knew from knowing the deep ins-and-outs of their inbox.
Gmail Live will begin rolling out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer.
As an added bonus, Google announced today that they have new features to introduce within the AI Inbox feature they first brought to us in January of this year.
Those new features are as follows, according to Google:
- Personalized draft replies: When an email needs a quick reply, AI Inbox doesn’t just remind you — it generates a contextual draft so you can review and respond in seconds.
- Instant file access: No more digging through threads. When a task requires reviewing a Google Doc, Sheet or Slide, the relevant link is surfaced right next to your to-do.
- Streamlined task management: Keep your view clutter-free by marking individual tasks as done, dismissing unhelpful suggestions or marking all emails in a given topic as read with a single click.
Gmail’s AI Inbox was previously only available to Google AI Ultra subscribers, but starting today, it’ll roll out to Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers in the US.
