Gemini in Gmail: What Google Actually Does With Your Emails - and How to Opt Out

Google's Gemini has spread across Gmail, offering AI summaries of recent emails, to-do lists, drafted replies and other organizational help, with paid subscribers getting extras like AI proofreading. Many of these features are switched on by default, which has left users wondering whether their inboxes are feeding Google's AI models.

The answer is both yes and no. Gemini has to read your email content to perform those tasks, but Google said in an April 2026 statement that it "does not train its foundational AI models, including Gemini, on your personal emails." According to Google, Gemini handles "isolated tasks" and processes information only to complete a specific request, without holding onto the data afterward.

Those safeguards extend to Workspace apps including Chat, Calendar, Docs, Drive, Sheets and Slides - unless you grant permission. Google warns that connecting Workspace content apps to Search services, which can enable AI Mode features, may mean the data is used "to improve Google services for everyone, including by training generative AI models." Search services, Google says, don't train models directly on your Gmail inbox, but summaries, excerpts and inferences drawn from your emails and files may be used to answer prompts and to train generative AI models.

Turning Gemini off is straightforward. In Gmail, open Settings, find Smart features and uncheck the box; in the app, tap the three lines at the top left, scroll to Settings, pick your account and deselect it. To strip Gemini from Workspace apps, clear the checkboxes under Google Workspace smart features - the choices apply across your account. On the web, click the gear icon, choose See all settings, scroll the General tab to Smart features, uncheck and confirm, then open Manage Workspace smart feature settings and turn both options off.

There's a catch: disabling smart features can also switch off spelling and grammar checks, leaving users to choose between basic editing tools and potentially invasive features. Those who want to keep the AI but limit training data can adjust their Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations settings, both found in their Google account, where saved activity can also be deleted.