Google adds new Gemini features to Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive
Source: Mashable Tech
Workspace can now generate documents from information pulled directly from your emails
by Amanda Yeo – March 10, 2026
Assistant Editor, Mashable
Credit: VCG / VCG via Getty Images
Google has announced several new Gemini‑powered features across its Workspace apps, integrating its generative‑AI model in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. Intended to make starting projects easier, these AI tools let Gemini generate drafts using information pulled from your emails, chats, and files.
“So, for example, for Google Docs, very often, the first step of starting any new writing project is all the manual prep,” Google VP of Workspace Yulie Kwon Kim said in an interview with Mashable. “You spend a lot of time gathering your notes, digging through your emails, bringing together, hunting down all of the different files or sources, and all of that just to get to the first draft on the page. And so now, what we’re doing is Gemini handles that for you.”
Gemini won’t dive into your personal correspondence uninvited. Users must first direct it to grab information from Gmail, Drive, or Chat via a prompt entered into a new text bar in each Workspace app. One example prompt provided by Google:
“Draft a newsletter for our neighbourhood association using the meeting minutes from my January HOA meeting and the list of upcoming events.”
In addition to specifying which internal sources to use, you can also have Gemini pull from online resources.
“So with a single prompt, in a new bottom bar on the bottom of Google Docs, you can basically tell Gemini what you want to do, and it will actually draw on your own Google Drive, your Gmail, your chat, to pull in information that can actually, in one shot, output a super helpful first draft, that you can then co‑edit together with Gemini,” said Kim.
“First, when you’re actually writing the prompt, you can indicate which sources you want Gemini to be able to source from. And then, at the output level, after it’s generated, say that first draft of your Doc, you can actually see exactly which emails or docs were used to generate the output. It gives you two levels of visibility when you’re working with Gemini on this.”
For a full list of the new Gemini‑powered AI features in Google Workspace, see the official announcement:
All new Gemini‑powered AI features in Google Workspace
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Google Docs
Credit: Mashable screenshot – Google
In addition to generating first drafts from users’ data (as mentioned above), Gemini can also edit sections of a document to refine and help strengthen your message and build on your ideas. Users can highlight a section, click Refine, then give Gemini a prompt such as “make this doc more professional while keeping the tone energetic.” Gemini will rewrite the highlighted text according to the prompt.
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Google Docs’ new Gemini features also enable it to alter sections of a document so that its tone, voice, and style are consistent with the rest of the file. You can further generate a document that matches the formatting of a different reference document—a tool aimed at users who often base new documents on copies of older ones.
Google Sheets
Credit: Mashable screenshot – Google
Similar to Google Docs, Google Sheets lets users generate entire spreadsheets that pull data from emails, chats, and Google Drive based on a prompt. In an example provided by Google, users can ask Gemini to:
“Organise my upcoming move to Chicago. Create a checklist for packing by room, a contact list for utilities, and a spreadsheet to track moving company quotes from my inbox.”
Gemini can also enter data into existing spreadsheets using plain‑English prompts, so you don’t have to type everything manually.
Google Slides
Credit: Mashable screenshot – Google
Google Slides’ Gemini‑powered upgrade won’t let you generate an entire slide deck from a single prompt just yet (though the company says this feature is coming soon). However, it does allow you to generate individual slides for an existing deck, pulling data from Gmail, Drive, and the web as directed.
You can then edit the generated slide manually or ask Gemini to do so with prompts such as “make this match the colours of the rest of my deck.”
Google Drive
Credit: Mashable screenshot – Google
While Google Drive is primarily used for storing and sharing files rather than creating them, it’s now getting the generative‑AI treatment as well.
- AI Overview – When you search in Drive, a Gemini‑powered “AI Overview” will appear at the top of the results, summarising information from relevant files (including citations). This feature was first introduced in Gmail.
- Ask Gemini in Drive – You can select files, emails, calendar events, or other online content and ask Gemini questions about them. For example, after selecting your tax‑related documents you could ask, “What should I ask my tax advisor before I file this year’s returns?” The interaction can be a back‑and‑forth conversation rather than a single query.
“So, it’s a really helpful and fun way, I think, to use Gemini, and what I think is especially powerful is that it’s right there in your Google Doc. You don’t need to go anywhere else to have this level of Gemini capability. You don’t need to learn another app, toggle back and forth between two places. It’s all right there for you in Docs.” – Kim
Google’s Gemini‑powered features begin rolling out in beta today. Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers will receive them first. The new Docs, Sheets, and Slides capabilities will be available globally in English, while the Drive features launch initially in the United States.
Google has been heavily integrating Gemini across its ecosystem, adding AI to its Chrome browser, Maps app, and more.
Caution: As with any generative AI, the technology isn’t perfect. It can produce errors, hallucinations, or misleading information. Always verify AI‑generated content, especially for important decisions.
Author
Amanda Yeo – Assistant Editor at Mashable. She covers entertainment, culture, tech, science, and social good from Australia, writing about everything from video games and K‑pop to movies and gadgets.
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