For most apps, the addition of AI tends to be considered unwanted bloat rather than a useful feature. But when properly implemented, it can be a lifesaver in some of the apps we use daily. Google is adding Gemini everywhere, and I don’t love it—except in these four apps.
Gmail
In my opinion, the best implementation of Gemini in a Google-made app—as in, features you’ll probably actually use—is probably Gmail. The most immediate impact from this integration comes from the “Help me write” feature. This tool goes beyond simple autocomplete suggestions by generating entire email drafts based on brief prompts. You can simply type a request for a formal apology to a client or a casual invitation to a team lunch, and Gemini will produce a complete, polished message. This capability extends to refining existing text, allowing users to shorten lengthy drafts or adjust the tone to be more professional or elaborative, depending on the recipient.
Gemini also significantly alleviates the burden of email overload through its advanced summarization capabilities. Long, complex threads with multiple participants can be instantly condensed into concise summaries that show key decisions and outstanding action items. This is particularly valuable for those returning from vacation or joining a project mid-stream, as it eliminates the need to scroll through dozens of messages to understand the current context. The system identifies the most critical information, such as proposed meeting times or specific project deadlines, and presents it clearly at the top of the conversation. Pretty good.
The Gemini side panel also acts as an intelligent assistant that can query your entire inbox. Instead of using traditional keyword searches that often yield mixed results, you can instead ask natural language questions like “What was the PO number for the last invoice from Vendor X?” or “When is my flight to Chicago?” Gemini scans through emails to find the specific answer and presents it directly to you, often linking to the source email for verification. When it works, it’s easier than using the search bar up top and scrolling through an endless maze of new and old emails.
Google Meet
Google Meet’s standout Gemini feature is “Take notes for me,” which functions as an automated secretary of sorts. It actively listens to the meeting and generates real-time notes that capture the essence of the discussion. It doesn’t just transcribe word-for-word; it synthesizes the dialogue to identify key takeaways, decisions made, and action items assigned to specific participants. After the call, these notes are automatically saved into a Google Doc and attached to the calendar invite, ensuring that a reliable record exists even if no human participant was dedicated to scribing.
For those who join a meeting late, the “Ask Gemini” feature provides a private way to catch up without disrupting the flow of conversation. You can simply type a question into the side interface, such as “What are we discussing right now?” or “Did anyone mention the budget yet?” Gemini reviews the transcript of what has already been said and provides a quick summary to bring the latecomer up to speed.
And aside from this, Gemini powers adaptive audio and studio-grade video adjustments that work in the background to professionalize the presentation. It can isolate voices from background noise more effectively than standard filters and automatically adjust lighting to correct for poor environments.
Google Docs
When I saw that Google was adding AI to its Workspace apps, I thought Gemini would be kind of like a cursed Clippy. In a way, it is, but it’s pretty useful too—at least on Google Docs. The “Help me write” prompt lets you generate outlines, blog posts, or project proposals from scratch based on simple instructions. It is equally effective at expanding on bullet points, turning rough notes into cohesive paragraphs. This generative capability is not limited to text; it can also create custom images directly within the document, helping to visualize concepts without needing to search external stock photo libraries.
The editing and refinement phase is where Gemini significantly boosts productivity. You can highlight specific sections of text and ask the AI to rephrase them for better clarity, correct grammatical errors, or completely change the stylistic approach. For example, a technical paragraph can be rewritten to be accessible to a general audience, or a casual memo can be elevated to executive-level prose. The system can also summarize long documents instantly, which is invaluable when reviewing extensive reports or academic papers. And these summaries can then be inserted directly into the document as an abstract or executive summary, if you want to do so.
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Gemini in Docs is its ability to access information from across the Google Workspace ecosystem. Through the side panel, you can ask Gemini to reference a specific email thread or a file stored in Drive and pull that information into the current document. This means a user can draft a project status report in Docs by instructing Gemini to “summarize the updates from the weekly team emails” or “pull the sales figures from the Q3 spreadsheet.”
Google Drive
Finally, Google Drive also has Gemini integration, and it’s actually more useful than you’d think. The traditional method of finding a file involves remembering filenames or navigating complex folder hierarchies. Gemini, however, introduces a natural language search and query system that operates on the content within the files. You can open the Gemini side panel and ask high-level questions like “What are the key differences between the marketing plans for 2024 and 2025?” The AI scans relevant documents, PDFs, and slide decks to provide a synthesized answer, citing the specific files where the information was found.
It’s particularly cool because it lets you extract insights without ever opening a file. A user can select a lengthy PDF contract or a dense research report and ask Gemini to “summarize the termination clauses” or “list the main competitors mentioned.” The AI processes the document’s text and delivers the requested information instantly.
Gemini also enhances the organization and management of Drive. It can analyze the contents of unorganized folders and suggest logical ways to structure them or propose file names that accurately reflect the document’s content.