ExplainerUpdated October 28, 2026

How to turn off Gmail's AI Inbox, and what it actually does

AI Inbox is a new view in Gmail that turns your email into a list of to-dos and topics. To hide it on a computer, go to Settings, See all settings, the Inbox tab, and uncheck Show AI Inbox[1]. If you also want to stop Gmail from using your mail for it, you have to turn off smart features, which takes other features with it.

Updated: Fact-checked: About 6 min readAs Markdown

Contents
  1. What AI Inbox shows
  2. Who gets AI Inbox
  3. How to hide AI Inbox
  4. What turning off smart features changes
  5. When AI Inbox is worth keeping
  6. What to use instead
  7. What Command Mail does here
  8. Review status
  9. Frequently asked questions
  10. Sources

01What AI Inbox shows

Google describes AI Inbox as a beta feature with two sections: Suggested to-dos and Topics to catch up on[1]. Suggested to-dos pull high-priority items out of incoming email and spell out the action in bold, such as the due date on a utility or credit card bill. Topics summarise updates spread across several threads, such as upcoming travel, restaurant reservations or order confirmations[1].

It has three limits worth knowing. It only surfaces information from messages in the Primary tab, not Social or Promotions. It leaves out spam and anything you archive, delete, mute or snooze. And it does not support attachments, delegated inboxes or encrypted email[1].

AI Inbox is part of Google's broader push to build Gemini into Gmail. In January 2026 Google announced thread summaries, questions you can ask your inbox, and new suggested replies[4]. AI Inbox is the piece that gives you a separate landing view built around tasks.

02Who gets AI Inbox

Gmail Help says AI Inbox is currently only available in the US and in English[1]. If you use Gmail elsewhere, or in another language, you will most likely not see it at all.

Personal Google accounts need a Google AI Plus, Google AI Pro or Google AI Ultra plan[1]. For work and school accounts the help page asks for an eligible Workspace plan. Google's October 2026 Workspace announcement lists Business Starter, Standard and Plus; Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus; AI Pro for Education; and Frontline Plus. Starter and Education editions are due in the coming months, again only for US users with English (US) as their language[2].

The rollout is gradual. It started on 2026-10-12 for Rapid Release domains and on 2026-10-26 for Scheduled Release domains, with up to 15 days before the feature becomes visible[2].

There is one more requirement. AI Inbox needs two Gmail settings turned on: Smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products. After you turn them on, Google says it can take a few hours, and up to seven days, before the first to-dos and topics show up[1].

03How to hide AI Inbox

You hide AI Inbox with a checkbox in Gmail's settings on a computer[1]:

  1. Open Gmail in a browser at mail.google.com.
  2. At the top right, click the gear icon Settings, then See all settings.
  3. At the top, open the Inbox tab.
  4. Uncheck Show AI Inbox and save your changes.

For the Gmail app on iPhone and iPad, the help page only explains how to open AI Inbox from the menu, not how to hide it[1]. The help page does not say whether hiding it on a computer also removes the menu entry on iPhone and iPad.

Hiding is not the same as switching it off at the source. The help page does not say that hiding deletes generated to-dos or topics, or that Gmail stops producing them[1]. It also notes that some to-dos and topic updates may be generated and used to optimise your experience without being shown; you can see all of them through View all at the bottom of AI Inbox in a web browser[1].

04What turning off smart features changes

If you don't want Gmail to use your mail for features like this, the setting that matters is smart features. Google splits it into three switches[3]:

SwitchWhereWhat Google says you lose
Smart features in Gmail, Chat, and MeetGmail, General tabAutomatic categories (Primary, Social, Promotions), Smart Compose, Smart Reply, summary cards above emails
Smart features in Google WorkspaceGmail, Manage Workspace smart feature settingsFeatures across Workspace, such as Gmail events in Calendar and Gemini in Workspace
Smart features in other Google productssame placeWorkspace data in other services, such as reservations in Maps or passes in Wallet, personal accounts only

Because AI Inbox requires both Workspace switches, turning off either one removes it[1]. The cost is that other conveniences go too. The Gmail, Chat and Meet switch also turns off the automatic split into tabs[3].

To change the Workspace switches[3]:

  1. In Gmail, open Settings, then See all settings.
  2. On the General tab, scroll to Google Workspace smart features.
  3. Click Manage Workspace smart feature settings.
  4. Turn off Smart features in Google Workspace or Smart features in other Google products, then click Save.

Google says these changes apply across all devices and apps where you are signed in, though some changes made on a computer are not reflected in the mobile app[3]. For work accounts, the announcement states there is no admin control for AI Inbox itself[2]. Admins can only set defaults for smart features, which users can change in their own settings[6]; Google does not describe an organisation-wide block on AI Inbox.

05When AI Inbox is worth keeping

AI Inbox earns its place if most of your important mail lands in Primary and your main worry is missing deadlines and bills. It does the digging and gives you buttons like View or Reply; you tick finished items off with Mark done[1].

One detail is easy to miss. Mark all as read on the topics section also marks every affected email as read in your regular Gmail inbox[1]. If you use unread mail as a reminder, keep that in mind.

It helps less with mail outside Primary, with attachments and with delegated inboxes, because it doesn't take them into account[1]. If you look after a shared mailbox or handle many PDF invoices, those are the gaps you will see.

06What to use instead

If you hide AI Inbox, you still need a way through your mail. A fixed order works well: unsubscribe, pre-sort with filters, check mail at set times, and decide once. The steps with Gmail's built-in tools are in How to deal with email overload.

Another option is your own AI agent, such as Claude or ChatGPT, with access to a mailbox. It can pull out deadlines and draft replies, and it is not tied to the US. It also reads mail from strangers, and a crafted message can try to slip it instructions; email prompt injection explains the risks.

07What Command Mail does here

Command Mail is our product. The details below come from its public documentation, retrieved on 2026-10-28[5].

Command Mail is a separate mailbox for your agent and receives messages from your Gmail mailbox once you set up forwarding there to your private Command Mail inbox. It sorts mail into General, Social, Promotions, Updates and Forums, and adds markers such as Appointment, Invoice, Deadline and Security[5]. The morning brief sums up what arrived since yesterday and what is due by tomorrow; agents retrieve it with morning_brief[5].

Forwarding is not sync: whatever you sort in Command Mail does not change anything in Gmail. It does not switch off AI Inbox in Gmail either; that still happens in Gmail's settings as described above. You set how much your agent may do on its own per mailbox; the levels are in the permissions documentation.

08Review status

As of 2026-10-28. The Gmail Help pages on AI Inbox (computer and iPhone/iPad) and on smart features, Google's October 2026 Workspace announcement, the admin help on smart features and the Google blog post of 2026-01-08 were retrieved on that day. AI Inbox is a beta feature and Google says it may change. We have not tested it ourselves.

You can start for free, give your agent only the mail:read permission at first and set the mailbox to the read level.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn off AI Inbox in Gmail?

On a computer, open Gmail, click Settings at the top right, then See all settings, open the Inbox tab and uncheck Show AI Inbox. Google's help describes this switch for the computer only, not for the iPhone or iPad app.

Why don't I see AI Inbox?

Google currently offers AI Inbox only in the US and in English. Personal accounts also need a Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra plan, and work accounts an eligible Workspace plan. Both smart feature settings for Workspace must be on, and the first items can take up to seven days to appear.

Does hiding AI Inbox delete its data?

Gmail Help doesn't say so. It only describes the setting as showing or hiding AI Inbox. If you don't want your Gmail content used for these features, you have to turn off the smart feature settings.

What do I lose if I turn off smart features?

AI Inbox goes away, because it requires both Workspace smart feature settings. Depending on the switch, you also lose things like Gmail events in Calendar or, with the Gmail, Chat and Meet switch, the Primary/Social/Promotions tabs, Smart Compose and Smart Reply.

Can a Workspace admin turn off AI Inbox for everyone?

According to Google's October 2026 announcement there is no admin control for this feature. Admins can set default values for smart features, which users can then change themselves.

Sources

  1. Gmail Help: Manage to-dos & topics with AI Inbox (computer and iPhone/iPad) support.google.com, accessed
  2. Google Workspace Updates: Gmail's AI Inbox is rolling out to paid Workspace users (October 2026) workspaceupdates.googleblog.com, accessed
  3. Gmail Help: Learn about smart features & controls for Google Workspace & other Google products support.google.com, accessed
  4. Google Blog: Gmail is entering the Gemini era (2026-01-08) blog.google, accessed
  5. Command Mail: Documentation (Markdown) commandmail.app, accessed
  6. Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage Google Workspace smart features for your users knowledge.workspace.google.com, accessed
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