Taming Gemini: How to Disable Gmail's AI Summaries (and What You Can't Turn Off Yet)

The Quest for Granular Control Over Gmail AI Summaries

Many Google Workspace users are encountering a new feature in Gmail: AI-generated summaries of their emails, powered by Gemini. While some might find these helpful, a significant portion of the community, like the user in thread #402496801, expresses frustration. The core issue? Wanting to disable only these AI summaries without sacrificing other useful "smart features" like email categories or event integration.

The sentiment is clear: users can read their own emails and don't want AI doing it for them, especially when it takes up valuable screen real estate or raises questions about data usage. The challenge lies in finding a setting that offers precise control.

A Partial Solution: Disabling "Smart Features in Workspace"

For those looking to turn off AI summaries while retaining some other smart features like categories, a specific setting path has been identified. This process is generally best performed on a desktop browser for clarity:

1. In Gmail, click the Settings gear icon (top right) and select "See All Settings."
2. Navigate to the "General" tab.
3. Scroll down to the section titled "Google Workspace Smart Features."
4. Click the "Manage Workspace Smart Features" button.
5. In the new window, UNcheck the box next to "Smart Features in Workspace."

According to community experts, this action should disable the AI overviews and summaries. You might notice the AI star on the search magnifying glass revert to a regular magnifying glass, indicating the change. This method aims to provide a way to disable the summaries without impacting features like email categorization.

The Bundled Feature Dilemma: Why You Might Still See AI

Despite the partial solution, Google support has clarified a crucial point: some smart features are currently bundled together. This means that while you might successfully turn off AI summaries, other features you value, such as "Show events from Gmail in Calendar," might also be disabled as they are part of the same bundle. Unfortunately, there's currently no plan to separate these bundled features, leading to a frustrating all-or-nothing scenario for some users.

Your Voice Matters: Sending Feedback to Google

Given the bundling issue, Google strongly encourages users to utilize the "Send Feedback" feature within Gmail. This is the most effective way to communicate your desire for more granular control directly to the product engineering team. When sending feedback, be specific:

• Clearly state which features you want to keep.
• Clearly state which features you want to turn off (e.g., "I want to keep 'Show events from Gmail in Calendar' but turn off Ask Gemini AI Summaries").

Your detailed feedback is essential for influencing future product development and potentially leading to more customizable options.

Community Voices: Frustration and Privacy Concerns

The community thread highlights widespread frustration. Users like bruce mcwhorter question the value and trustworthiness of these summaries, raising concerns about reading information twice and potential privacy implications regarding how email data is used by the AI. Others, like nina meledandri, lament the screen real estate taken up by AI features, even when collapsed, and express a willingness to pay for Gmail to avoid such intrusions. Some users, like Alexandra Drobac Diagne, even report that the suggested disable steps don't consistently work for them, adding to the exasperation.

Google Workspace Users: Admin Controls and Dashboards

For individuals using Gmail with a work or school account, the situation can be slightly different. Gemini usage and related smart features are often controlled by a Google Workspace IT administrator. These administrators have the authority to manage and configure features across their organization, potentially overriding individual user settings. Admins typically access these controls through a central management console, such as the one found at https://gsuite.google.com/dashboard (or the modern Google Admin console), where they can set policies for various Google Workspace services, including how AI features are deployed and managed within their domain.

Ultimately, while a method exists to partially disable unwanted AI summaries, the desire for truly granular control remains a significant community request. Sending direct feedback to Google is currently the most impactful action users can take to advocate for more personalized Gmail experiences.