Gmail’s traditional search bar isn’t going away, but now the Gemini button will be added next to the search bar. The idea behind the feature is to get people to use AI when trying to find specific information from their emails, rather than traditionally searching for certain emails.

In addition to being able to ask questions, you can also use the feature to find unread emails from a specific sender simply by telling Gemini to "Find unread emails by [the person's name]." You can ask the chatbot to summarize a topic you know you can find in your inbox,

This move by Google now puts Gemini in direct competition with Apple Intelligence, which isn't even out yet. However, Apple Intelligence has a built-in advantage in that it can prioritize onboard processing, rather than having to use the cloud like Google. This means that Apple's AI would be faster, and arguably safer for users.

After initially adding Gemini AI-based searches to Google Workspace Gmail on Android, it's now being brought to iOS, as Google continues to build its lead on Apple Intelligence.

Google has started rolling out the Gemini AI Q&A feature for the Gmail app on Android and iOS. Located in the search bar and as a dedicated panel, the Gmail Q&A feature accepts queries in the form of text prompts or suggestions.