Rugged Phones

January 9, 2026, 9:30 PM EST. Google is moving Gmail users to in-line AI experiences and retiring the Gemini side panel for US AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers. The panel previously let users summarize threads, draft emails, and pull information from Drive and Calendar. Most of that work now runs inside Gmail's new AI tools, with Help Me Write unchanged and Proofread boosted as a stronger spelling and style checker. Suggested Replies now weigh thread context, and AI Overviews can summarize long threads and appear in search for a more integrated view. The side panel is gone on some personal accounts but remains on Android mobile; Google Workspace plans reportedly retain Gemini access.