How to Enable and Use Gmail AI Inbox

Gmail’s AI Inbox is now rolling out to eligible Google Workspace accounts in the US. It surfaces suggested to-dos and topic summaries drawn from your Primary emails so you spend less time scanning threads.

What AI Inbox Does

AI Inbox is a separate view inside Gmail. It does not replace your normal inbox. Two sections appear:

• Suggested to-dos extract action items, deliverables, and deadlines from email conversations. Key actions appear in bold.
• Topics to catch up on summarize important multi-message threads and rapid exchanges so you can see the latest decisions and status changes.

You can mark items done, remove suggestions, view the original emails, or reply. A “View all” option shows additional items the system held back. The feature only reads messages in the Primary tab. It ignores Social and Promotions tabs, spam, archived, deleted, muted, or snoozed mail, attachments, delegated or shared inboxes, and encrypted email.

Who Can Use It and When

Availability is limited to users in the United States whose account language is set to English (US). Eligible plans include Business Starter, Standard, and Plus; Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus; Frontline Plus; and AI Pro for Education. Starter and some Education editions receive it later. Personal accounts need Google AI Plus, Pro, or Ultra.

Rapid Release domains began a gradual rollout on 12 October 2026 (up to 15 days for visibility). Scheduled Release domains start on 26 October 2026 (also up to 15 days). There is no admin switch; each user controls the view.

How to Enable AI Inbox

1. Open Gmail on a computer. Click the gear icon, then See all settings.
2. On the General tab, turn on both Smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products. Save if needed.
3. Switch to the Inbox tab and check Show AI Inbox. Save changes.
4. Click AI Inbox in the left panel. On mobile, open the menu and select AI Inbox.
5. Click Refresh at the top to pull the latest items.

It can take a few hours after smart features are enabled, and up to seven days for the first to-dos and topics to appear. The view may look empty if you have little recent Primary mail.

Practical Tips

• Move important senders from Promotions or Updates into Primary so AI Inbox can see them.
• Use Refresh after big email bursts.
• Hide the view anytime by unchecking Show AI Inbox in settings; your normal inbox is unaffected.
• Pair it with other Workspace tools. For brand and finance workflows, see our guide on the Gemini business landing page.
• Test on desktop first; mobile placement can vary by app version.

Limits to Expect

The feature is in beta and may change. It does not process attachments or delegated mailboxes. Results depend on the quality and volume of Primary email. Language and region restrictions mean it is not yet global. Google notes there is no dedicated admin off switch beyond broader smart-feature controls.

Conclusion

AI Inbox gives Workspace users a focused view of actions and updates without changing how Gmail works. Confirm your plan and language, enable the smart features and the Show AI Inbox option, then refresh. It can take up to a week to populate, so check back after a few days of normal email traffic.

Sources

• Google Workspace Updates blog, “Gmail’s AI Inbox is rolling out to paid Workspace users,” 15 October 2026: https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2026/10/gmails-ai-inbox-is-rolling-out-to-paid-Workspace-users.html
• Google Help references linked from the Workspace post on managing to-dos and topics with AI Inbox
• YouTube: Gmail AI Inbox Is Here For Workspace: How To Turn It On