How to Turn Off Gmail's AI Features (and What Each One Does)
Gmail's AI features are controlled by two settings groups: "smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet" and "Google Workspace smart features." Turning both off disables Gemini summaries, Help me write, Smart Compose, and Smart Reply -- but you also lose package tracking, inbox categories, and flight events in Calendar.
To turn off Gmail's AI features, you need to flip two separate groups of settings, not one: the checkbox called smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet, and the toggles under Google Workspace smart features. Both live in Gmail's settings under the General tab on the web, or under your account name in the mobile apps. Turning off the first kills Smart Compose, Smart Reply, inbox categories, and summary cards; turning off the second kills the Gemini features, including email summaries and Help me write. Google documents all three settings groups on its smart features support page.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail's AI lives behind three settings groups: smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet; smart features in Google Workspace; and smart features in other Google products. You must turn off the first two to remove AI from Gmail itself. Source: Google support.
- The Gmail, Chat, and Meet group controls Smart Compose, Smart Reply, automatic inbox categories (Primary, Social, Promotions), and summary cards for travel and package tracking.
- The Google Workspace group controls Gemini summarization and drafting in Gmail, plus events from Gmail showing up in Calendar and personalized search in Drive.
- Changes apply across all devices where you are signed in, so you only need to do this once per account.
- Trade-off: turning these off removes genuinely useful non-AI conveniences (package tracking, flight events in Calendar), because Google bundles them into the same switches.
- On a work or school account, the Gemini side panel and summaries are controlled by your Google Workspace administrator; your personal toggles cannot fully remove them.
- These settings control personalization inside your account, not AI model training. Google says consumer Gmail content is not used to train Gemini's public models.
What Each Gmail AI Feature Does
The direct answer: as of mid-2026, a personal Gmail account has two layers of AI. The older layer is machine-learning convenience features (Smart Compose, Smart Reply, categories, summary cards). The newer layer is Gemini: automatic summaries above long threads, a Help me write drafting tool, and Gemini-powered assistance that can reach into Calendar and Drive. Google groups all of it under the three settings documented on its smart features and controls page, and each feature belongs to exactly one group.
| Feature | What it does | Which setting controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Compose | Suggests text as you type an email | Smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet |
| Smart Reply | Suggests short quick replies | Smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet |
| Inbox categories | Sorts mail into Primary, Social, Promotions | Smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet |
| Summary cards | Package tracking, flight and order cards above emails | Smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet |
| Gemini email summaries | AI summary box above long threads | Smart features in Google Workspace |
| Help me write / drafting | Gemini drafts or polishes emails for you | Smart features in Google Workspace |
| Events from Gmail in Calendar | Flights and reservations auto-added to Calendar | Smart features in Google Workspace |
| Personalized Drive search | Ranks Drive results using your activity | Smart features in Google Workspace |
| Maps reservations, Wallet passes | Bookings and tickets pulled from Gmail into Maps and Wallet | Smart features in other Google products |
If you mostly want to understand what Gemini itself is before deciding, our explainer on Gemini 3.1 covers what the model does in plain terms.
How to Turn Off Gmail AI on the Web
The short version: open Gmail settings, then turn off one checkbox and two toggles. Here are the steps on a computer:
- Open gmail.com and click the gear icon in the top right.
- Click "See all settings."
- On the "General" tab, scroll to the "Smart features" section.
- Uncheck the box for smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet.
- Still in the same section, find "Google Workspace smart features" and click "Manage Workspace smart feature settings."
- Turn off "Smart features in Google Workspace."
- Turn off "Smart features in other Google products" if you also want Gmail data kept out of Maps and Wallet.
- Save your changes and reload Gmail.
After the reload, Gemini summaries, Help me write, Smart Compose, and Smart Reply stop appearing in your account.
How to Turn It Off on Android
On Android the same two controls live inside the Gmail app's per-account settings, per Google's Android instructions:
- Open the Gmail app and tap the menu button, then "Settings."
- Tap the email account you want to change.
- In the "General" section, uncheck "Smart features."
- In the same section, tap "Google Workspace smart features."
- Turn off "Smart features in Google Workspace" and, if you want, "Smart features in other Google products."
How to Turn It Off on iPhone and iPad
The answer for iOS is the same setting, reached through the app's account settings: open the Gmail app, tap the menu, tap "Settings," choose your account, and clear the smart features option, then open the Google Workspace smart features controls in the same screen. Google's support page has the current iOS wording if your app version differs. Because the setting is account-level, changes you make on any one device apply across all devices where you are signed in.
What You Lose When You Turn It Off
Be honest with yourself about the trade before flipping the switches: Google bundles popular non-AI conveniences into the same settings as the AI, so opting out costs more than just Gemini. With smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet off, your inbox becomes one single list (no Primary, Social, and Promotions tabs), package tracking and flight summary cards disappear, and typing suggestions stop. With Google Workspace smart features off, flights and reservations stop auto-appearing in Calendar, and Drive search loses personalization. Spam filtering, search, labels, and filters all keep working; they are core Gmail, not smart features.
Is It Actually Off, or Just Hidden?
The short answer: within Gmail on a personal account, off means off, but the switches do not reach everything Google does with AI. Three caveats matter. First, these settings control whether your content is used to power personalized features in your account; Google says consumer Gmail content is not used to train Gemini's public models either way, so the toggles are about features and in-account processing, not a training opt-out. Second, on a work or school account, your Workspace administrator decides whether Gemini appears in Gmail; the Workspace smart features toggles you control as a user cannot remove an admin-enabled Gemini panel. Third, the Gemini app and Gemini buttons in other Google products (Chrome, Android, Docs) have their own controls, so do not expect Gmail's settings to de-Gemini your whole Google account.
Also worth knowing: Google turned smart features on by default for many accounts in a late-2025 rollout, which is why AI summaries may have appeared in your inbox without you asking for them. If you opted out years ago, it is worth rechecking the settings above once.
If you are turning this off because you would rather use AI deliberately in a separate app than have it ambient in your inbox, see our comparison of the best free AI chatbots in 2026 and our everyday-use matchup of ChatGPT vs Gemini. And if you are curious what the next wave of this looks like (AI that acts in your accounts, not just summarizes them), read what an AI agent is, in plain terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off Gmail's smart features stop Google from training AI on my email?
These settings control whether your content is used to personalize features for you, not model training. Google states that Gmail content is not used to train Gemini's public models. Turning smart features off stops Gmail from processing your mail to power summaries, Smart Compose, categories, and similar features in your account.
Can I turn off only the Gemini email summaries and keep everything else?
No. There is no standalone toggle for summaries in a personal account. Gemini summarization and drafting are bundled into the "Google Workspace smart features" setting, so turning summaries off also disables things like events from Gmail appearing in Calendar.
Why do I still see a Gemini button after turning smart features off?
The Gemini app and Gemini entry points in other Google products are separate from Gmail's smart features settings. On a work or school account, the Gemini side panel is controlled by your administrator, not by your personal settings, so it can remain visible even after you opt out.
Will I lose spam filtering if I turn off smart features?
No. Core spam and phishing protection is part of Gmail's baseline security and keeps working regardless of these settings. What you lose is convenience features: inbox categories, package tracking summary cards, Smart Compose, Smart Reply, and Gemini summaries and drafting.