Gmail is finally rolling out AI-powered summaries, which will help users save time reading long emails. The feature is designed to provide a concise summary of email conversations, making it easier for users to keep track of their inbox without reading long threads. It is part of the Gemini side panel on the web and is now being rolled out to Gmail for Android and iOS, exclusively for paying customers.

A screenshot of the feature shared by 9-to-5 Gmail shows that the button for this feature does not appear in single-thread emails, but it is available when a conversation has at least two reactions. This is particularly useful for summarizing extended discussions and ensuring that key points are not missed.

After tapping on the summary button, within a few seconds it generates a summary in the form of bullet points. The summary is presented in a sheet that slides up from the bottom of the screen. Although there is currently no field to enter follow-up prompts at the bottom of the sheet, this capability may be introduced with the upcoming launch of Gmail Q&A. Users can swipe down on the sheet to view recent summaries, and the user interface can be expanded to the full screen for easier viewing.

The feature is rolling out today and will be fully available in the coming weeks. In addition to Summarize, Google is also launching Gmail Q&A and Contextual Smart Reply next month, which will further enhance the email experience.

Meanwhile, Gemini is also rolling out a new side panel feature on Web Gmail, powered by Gemini 1.5 Pro. The AI-powered side panel can summarize email threads, suggest responses, help draft emails, and assist in finding specific information from emails in the inbox or from Google Drive files. Users can access these features by tapping the Gemini Sparkle icon in the top-right corner, which triggers active prompts.

With the side panel, users can perform the following tasks:

document: Gemini tools in the Docs side panel help users write and refine content, summarize information, brainstorm ideas, and create content based on other files.

Gmail: Gemini can summarize email threads, suggest replies, help draft emails, and find specific information from emails or Google Drive files in your inbox.

To driveIn Drive, this tool can summarize one or more documents, provide quick facts about a project, and let you do in-depth research on a topic without having to click through multiple documents.

Slides: This feature can create new slides, create custom images, summarize presentations, and more.

Sheet: Together with the Sheets side panel, this tool helps track and organize data, quickly create tables, generate formulas, and provide guidance for performing specific tasks in Sheets.

Both the Summary feature and the Gemini side panel are available to users with the Gemini Business and Enterprise add-ons, Gemini Education and Education Premium add-ons, and Google One AI Premium. This rollout promises to make email management more efficient, leaving users with time to focus on more important tasks.