Gmail rolls out personalized AI Inbox, smarter search, and built-in proofreading tools

Google has unveiled a suite of new AI-powered features for Gmail, including a personalized AI Inbox, AI Overviews in search, and a Grammarly-like proofreading tool. The company is also expanding access to several AI features that were previously limited to paid subscribers.

The new AI Inbox introduces a dedicated tab that offers a high-level snapshot of what matters most in a user’s email. It is divided into two sections: “Suggested to-dos” and “Topics to catch up on.”

The “Suggested to-dos” section highlights priority emails that require action, such as reminders about upcoming bill payments or follow-ups like confirming an address for a prescription refill. Meanwhile, “Topics to catch up on” surfaces status updates pulled from emails, including delivery confirmations, returns, and financial notifications.

These updates are automatically grouped into categories such as Finances and Purchases, helping users scan important information without opening individual emails.

“This is us delivering on Gmail proactively having your back, showing you what you need to do and when you need to do it,” said Blake Barnes, Google’s VP of Product, during a media briefing. He added that the traditional inbox will remain unchanged and that the AI Inbox is an optional view users can toggle on and off.

The AI Inbox is currently rolling out to trusted testers, with broader availability expected in the coming months.

Gmail is also introducing AI Overviews in search, allowing users to ask natural-language questions about their inbox instead of relying on keyword searches. For example, a user could ask, “Who gave me a plumbing quote for my bathroom renovation last year?” Gmail would then generate an AI summary by scanning relevant emails and highlighting key details.

According to Google, the AI model used for these overviews relies solely on a user’s emails and does not draw from external data. This feature is rolling out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

In addition, Gmail is launching a new Proofread feature designed to help users refine their writing. The tool analyzes drafts to suggest improvements in clarity, word choice, conciseness, and sentence structure. It can also flag incorrect word usage—such as confusing “weather” with “whether”—and recommend simpler alternatives, much like popular tools such as Grammarly.

Proofread will also be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Google emphasized that all AI features in Gmail are optional and that personal email content is not used to train its foundational models. The company said personal data is processed in a strictly isolated environment.

Alongside these launches, Google announced that several AI features are now rolling out to all Gmail users, including Help Me Write, AI Overviews for threaded emails, and Suggested Replies—tools that were previously restricted to paid tiers.

Help Me Write allows users to generate emails from a simple prompt, threaded AI Overviews summarize long conversations, and Suggested Replies generate context-aware responses tailored to a user’s tone and style.

Together, the updates signal Google’s push to make Gmail more proactive and intelligent, while reducing users’ reliance on third-party writing and productivity tools.