Gemini in Gmail and Copilot in Outlook: the email AI you may already pay for
If your business uses Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, or you have a Google AI or Microsoft 365 personal plan, you may already have AI that summarizes long email threads and drafts replies. Here's how to check and turn it on.
Verdict: Check what you already pay for
Decided Oct 14, 2026, before any affiliate check
If you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, turn on the included AI before buying a separate email app.
- Tool
- Gemini in Gmail
- Free tier
- No
- Price
- Included in Google Workspace Business Starter ($7/user/month annual, $8.40 flexible) and up; personal accounts via Google AI Plus ($4.99/month) or Google AI Pro ($19.99/month) (checked Oct 14, 2026, source)
- Tool
- Microsoft Copilot in Outlook
- Free tier
- Varies by plan
- Price
- Copilot Chat (including Copilot in Outlook) at no extra cost in Microsoft 365 plans; Personal/Family plans include Copilot in apps; Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on $18/user/month annual (promo to Dec 31, 2026; normally $21) (checked Oct 14, 2026, source)
- Setup
- About 10 minutes
- Status
- Researched
Skip this
- Skip buying a separate AI email app until you've checked what your Google or Microsoft plan already includes.
- Skip auto-sending AI drafts. Read every draft before it goes out, especially to customers.
- Skip the premium add-ons until you've used the included features for a few weeks.
The short version
A lot of people pay for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for their business email and never notice the AI that’s now included. It can summarize a 30-message thread in a few lines and draft a reply you then edit.
Step 1: Figure out which one you have (2 minutes)
- Business email on Google (you log in at Gmail with your company address): you’re on Google Workspace. Google’s Business editions page lists Gemini in Gmail as included from Business Starter ($7/user/month on an annual plan).
- Personal Gmail: Gemini in Gmail comes with a Google AI plan: AI Plus ($4.99/month) or AI Pro ($19.99/month), per Google’s plans page.
- Outlook / Microsoft 365: Microsoft says Copilot Chat, including Copilot in Outlook, comes at no additional cost with Microsoft 365 plans, and Personal and Family subscriptions include Copilot in the Microsoft 365 apps. The paid Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on adds more.
Step 2: Try it on one long thread (5 minutes)
- Open the longest, messiest email thread you have.
- In Gmail, look for the Gemini option to summarize this email; in Outlook, look for the Copilot option to summarize the thread.
- Ask for a draft reply: “Reply politely, confirm Thursday at 2 pm, and ask for the updated quote.”
- Edit the draft so it sounds like you, then send it yourself.
Step 3: Make it a habit (3 minutes)
Use it on your three longest threads each morning. If you’re on personal Gmail in the US with a Google AI plan, try asking your inbox a question (“what did the landlord say about the lease renewal?”).
What it’s great at
Catching up after a day away, getting the gist of long threads, and getting past blank-page replies.
Privacy, in plain English
- These features work on your existing email data inside Google or Microsoft. For business accounts, your admin's settings and your provider's data terms apply.
- Don't paste extra sensitive data (full card numbers, passwords, ID numbers) into prompts.
- Google says Gemini in Gmail and other Google AI plan features are only for ages 18+.
What can break
- Features vary by plan, country and language. Google lists 'ask your Gmail inbox' AI Overviews as US-only.
- On business accounts, an admin may need to turn features on.
- Summaries can miss nuance or get a date wrong. Check before acting on them.
- Prices and plan names change often (Microsoft's $18 Copilot Business price is a promotion through Dec 31, 2026).
Next step
Pair it with your calendar: ask Gemini or Copilot to pull dates out of a thread, then add them to your calendar. Or pair it with a meeting notetaker so recaps and replies come from one place.