Google’s Gmail platform is entering a new era in 2026, unveiling a sweeping set of changes that promise to reshape how millions of users manage their email—while also sunsetting some long-standing features that many have come to rely on. The company’s expansion of Gemini, its powerful artificial intelligence model, into Gmail marks one of the most significant overhauls of the service in years, aiming to make inboxes smarter, more efficient, and less overwhelming. But as these AI-driven tools roll out, other familiar functionalities like Gmailify and POP3 support are being retired, leaving some users scrambling to adapt.
On January 8, 2026, Google officially announced the expansion of Gemini AI across Gmail, introducing a suite of tools designed to streamline email management and boost productivity. According to Google’s own support documentation, these new features are intended to help users quickly make sense of their inboxes, save time, and reduce the fatigue that often accompanies a flood of messages. At the heart of the update is the AI-driven summarisation tool, which can automatically distil long and sometimes unwieldy email threads into concise, easy-to-digest overviews. This "AI Inbox overview" is part of Google’s broader push to bring generative AI features directly into everyday products, making the technology accessible to users around the world.
But that’s just the beginning. Gmail’s new Gemini-powered reply suggestions go far beyond the basic “Quick replies” users might be accustomed to. Instead, these suggestions are tailored to each individual’s writing style and the specific context of the email, offering more nuanced and relevant responses. Some of these tools are available at no extra cost, while others may be reserved for paying customers or Workspace users as the rollout continues.
Another headline feature is the redesigned AI Inbox view, which highlights emails requiring follow-up or immediate action. Whether it’s a scheduling decision buried in a long thread or a critical conversation that needs attention, the AI Inbox uses behavioral cues to surface the most important messages and to-dos. Early tests and limited releases have shown that this prioritization can help users stay on top of their most pressing tasks without having to dig through their entire inbox.
Gemini’s reach doesn’t stop there. The update also brings the ability to draft emails, refine written content, and assist with event planning—such as suggesting dates based on email contents and integrating seamlessly with Google Calendar. Users can now interact with their inbox via the side panel interface, issuing natural language prompts to summarise threads, find information from previous emails, or draft responses. It’s all part of Google’s ongoing effort to embed AI throughout its Workspace ecosystem, which already includes Docs, Sheets, and Meet.
According to Google, these AI tools are being rolled out first to consumer accounts, with broader availability for Workspace users and even more advanced features expected in the near future. The company has also addressed privacy and data-handling concerns, stating that data used for AI tools is processed with safeguards and does not train future models by default.
Yet, while Google is ramping up its AI ambitions, it’s also winding down some legacy features—moves that have sparked concern and confusion among certain segments of its user base. Starting in January 2026, Gmail will officially shut down two features: Gmailify and the ability to "Check mail from other accounts" via the POP3 protocol. The end of these services marks a significant shift, particularly for users who have relied on Gmail as a central hub for managing multiple email accounts from different providers.
Gmailify, for those unfamiliar, allowed users to link non-Gmail accounts—like Yahoo or Outlook—to Gmail and enjoy benefits such as spam filtering, mobile notifications, inbox categories, and advanced search. With Gmailify’s removal, these perks will no longer be available for third-party emails. As reported by Progressive Robot, users of third-party accounts will lose “spam protection, better email notifications on mobile, inbox categories, [and] faster search with advanced search operators.”
The discontinuation of POP3 support is another major blow for those who check their emails from other providers on their computers. Until now, users could access messages from services such as Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird through Gmail’s "check mail from other accounts" feature. Google’s support documentation now advises users to switch to IMAP connections, set up automatic forwarding, or add their accounts directly to the Gmail app on mobile devices to maintain access. As Google Support explains, “You can continue to read and send emails from your other account in the Gmail app for Android, iPhone, and iPad, which uses a standard IMAP connection.” For those with work or school accounts, administrators can help migrate email data into Google Workspace.
But that’s not all that’s changing. In a move that’s bound to delight users frustrated by the permanence of their Gmail addresses, Google is planning a major update in 2026 that will finally allow people to change their Gmail address without losing emails, drive files, photos, or account history. As detailed in a Google support document (currently available only in Hindi, suggesting India may be the first to see the update), users will be able to switch their primary Gmail address once per year, up to three times in total. The old address will continue to work as an alias, and all data—including emails sent to the old address—will remain unaffected.
“If you’d like, you can change your Google Account email address that ends in gmail.com to a new email address that ends in gmail.com,” the support document states. “You will receive emails at both your old and new email addresses. Data saved in your account, including photos, messages, and emails sent to your old email address, will not be affected.” There’s no confirmed date for the wider release of this feature, but anticipation is already building among users eager for greater flexibility in managing their digital identities.
All these changes come at a time when email remains a critical tool for both personal and professional communication. By bringing cutting-edge AI to the forefront while phasing out older, less secure, or less scalable features, Google is betting that users will embrace a smarter, more streamlined inbox—even if it means letting go of some familiar comforts. The transition may not be seamless for everyone, especially those who have built their workflows around Gmailify or POP3, but Google’s clear focus is on the future: one where AI helps manage the deluge of daily messages and users have more control than ever over their digital lives.
As the dust settles on these updates, one thing’s clear: Gmail in 2026 is not the same service it was just a year ago. For better or worse, the inbox is getting an AI-powered makeover, and users everywhere will have to decide how to adapt to this new chapter in email’s evolution.