Google Meet Enhances Collaboration with Expanded ‘Ask Gemini’ Feature
Google is enhancing its video conferencing platform, Google Meet, by expanding the availability of the ‘Ask Gemini’ feature to a broader range of Workspace users and introducing support for mobile applications. This development aims to improve meeting productivity by providing real-time assistance and insights during virtual meetings.
Introduction to ‘Ask Gemini’
Initially launched for enterprise customers in September 2025, ‘Ask Gemini’ serves as an in-meeting advisor within Google Meet. The feature listens to ongoing conversations and allows participants to interact with it to obtain various forms of assistance. Users can access ‘Ask Gemini’ by clicking on the Gemini icon located in the top-right corner of the Google Meet interface.
Key Functionalities of ‘Ask Gemini’
‘Ask Gemini’ offers several capabilities designed to enhance the meeting experience:
– Meeting Summaries: Participants can request a brief overview of the meeting’s goals and topics, facilitating a clear understanding of the discussion’s purpose.
– Key Takeaways and Action Items: The feature can list essential points, decisions made, and action items discussed during the meeting, ensuring that all participants are aligned on the outcomes.
– Catch-Up Assistance: For those who join a meeting late, ‘Ask Gemini’ can provide a summary of what has been discussed so far, helping them quickly get up to speed.
These functionalities are particularly beneficial in maintaining engagement and ensuring that all participants, regardless of when they join, have access to critical information.
Integration with Google Workspace and External Resources
‘Ask Gemini’ enhances its responses by utilizing various resources:
– Meeting Captions: It analyzes real-time captions to understand the context and content of the discussion.
– Google Workspace Resources: The feature accesses documents, spreadsheets, presentations, emails, and other materials within the user’s Google Workspace, provided the user has the necessary permissions.
– External Content: ‘Ask Gemini’ can also pull information from Google Search and public websites to provide comprehensive answers.
This integration ensures that the assistance provided is both relevant and comprehensive, drawing from a wide array of information sources.
Expansion to Additional Workspace Tiers
Originally available to Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus users, ‘Ask Gemini’ is now being extended to Business Standard subscribers. This rollout is scheduled to begin in late January 2026, making the feature accessible to a larger segment of Google Workspace users.
Introduction to Mobile Platforms
Recognizing the growing reliance on mobile devices for professional communication, Google plans to introduce ‘Ask Gemini’ to the Google Meet mobile applications on Android and iOS. This update is expected to roll out in February 2026, allowing users to access the feature by tapping the Gemini icon within the mobile app interface.
Multilingual Support
To cater to a global user base, ‘Ask Gemini’ will expand its language support to include French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. This multilingual capability is set to launch on February 2, 2026, enabling non-English speaking users to benefit from the feature in their native languages.
Enhancing Meeting Productivity
The expansion of ‘Ask Gemini’ aligns with Google’s commitment to enhancing productivity and collaboration within its suite of tools. By providing real-time summaries, action items, and the ability to catch up on missed content, ‘Ask Gemini’ addresses common challenges faced during virtual meetings. The integration with Google Workspace resources and external content further enriches the user experience, offering a comprehensive in-meeting assistant.
User Accessibility and Adoption
With the feature becoming available to a broader range of Workspace tiers and its introduction to mobile platforms, Google aims to ensure that ‘Ask Gemini’ is accessible to a diverse user base. The addition of multiple languages underscores the company’s dedication to inclusivity and global reach.
Conclusion
The expansion of ‘Ask Gemini’ in Google Meet represents a significant step forward in leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance virtual meeting experiences. By providing real-time assistance, integrating with a wide array of resources, and supporting multiple languages and platforms, ‘Ask Gemini’ is poised to become an invaluable tool for professionals seeking to maximize productivity and collaboration in their meetings.
