Google expands Ask Gemini in Drive to search Gmail for Workspace and AI subscribers
Google has expanded its Ask Gemini in Drive feature to search Gmail, allowing eligible subscribers to query email threads alongside files and folders. The feature requires Google AI Pro, AI Ultra, or Workspace Business/Enterprise subscriptions.
Google expands Ask Gemini in Drive to search Gmail for Workspace and AI subscribers
Google's Ask Gemini in Drive feature now searches Gmail, adding email threads to its existing ability to query Drive files and folders. The feature, first announced in March 2025, exited beta and became generally available to eligible subscribers.
Access requirements
The Gmail search capability requires one of the following subscriptions:
- Google AI Pro
- Google AI Ultra
- Google Workspace Business
- Google Workspace Enterprise
How it works
Users select Gmail from the sources panel on the left side of Drive, then click the "Ask Gemini" button in the top right. The system processes natural language queries like "find the email where I received approval for the Jenkins project" and searches across email threads, attached files, and Drive folders.
According to Google, the feature supports "high-context, multi-turn conversations" that allow users to refine searches through follow-up questions. The AI grounds responses in what Google describes as "a complete view of their business context" spanning emails, files, and folders.
Technical details
The feature builds on Gemini's existing Drive integration, which already searched files and folders before adding Gmail as a source. Google has not disclosed specific context window limits for how many emails or files the system can process simultaneously, or whether pricing differs from standard Gemini API usage.
The announcement follows Google's March 2025 introduction of the feature, which initially supported only Drive content before expanding to include Gmail in this June 2026 update.
What this means
This update positions Google's Gemini as a unified search layer across Google Workspace, directly competing with Microsoft's Copilot integration in Office 365. The requirement for premium subscriptions indicates Google is positioning AI-powered search as an enterprise feature rather than a consumer tool. The lack of disclosed pricing or performance metrics makes it difficult to evaluate cost-effectiveness compared to manual search or competing enterprise AI tools.
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