New Delhi: Google is taking a clear step toward making its AI feel less generic and more personal. On January 14, 2026 (IST), the company announced a new
feature called Personal Intelligence, now rolling out in beta inside the Gemini app in the United States. The idea is simple on paper but complex under the hood. Gemini should not just answer questions. It should understand you.
This move comes after years of users jumping between Gmail, Photos, Search, and YouTube just to find basic personal details. Google says Personal Intelligence aims to stitch those silos together, with user permission, so AI can respond with context that actually reflects real life.
Answering a top request from our users, we’re introducing Personal Intelligence in the @GeminiApp. You can now securely connect to Google apps for an even more helpful experience.
Personal Intelligence combines two core strengths: reasoning across complex sources and retrieving… pic.twitter.com/4hft0KH3du
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) January 14, 2026
What Google means by Personal Intelligence
Personal Intelligence is Google’s way of letting Gemini reason across your own data. It connects information from apps like Gmail, Google Photos, YouTube, and Search to give tailored answers.
Sundar Pichai posted on X, stating that Google is “answering a top request from our users” by allowing Gemini to securely connect to Google apps for a more helpful experience. He added that users choose exactly which apps to connect, and these settings stay off by default.
Josh Woodward, VP at Google Labs, framed it more simply. The best assistants do not just know the world. They know you and help you move through it.
What can Personal Intelligence actually do
The feature combines two things. First, it can retrieve specific details from personal data. Second, it can reason across multiple sources at once.
Woodward shared a real example. While standing in a tyre shop, Woodward asked Gemini about tyre size for his 2019 Honda minivan. Gemini not only pulled the size but suggested options for daily driving and all-weather use. It even referenced past family road trips stored in Photos. Later, it fetched the license plate number from an image and confirmed the vehicle trim using Gmail.
Other use cases include:
- Planning trips based on past travel emails and saved photos
- Suggesting books, shows, or clothes based on history
- Skipping tourist-heavy spots when planning holidays
The system works across text, images, and video. Google says this helps with complex planning and discovery tasks.
How it works behind the scenes
Google calls the main challenge the “context packing problem.” Personal data is huge. Emails and photos alone can exceed what an AI model can read at once.
To solve this, Google built a new Personal Intelligence engine. It pulls only relevant bits of information into working memory in real time. This runs on Gemini 3, which supports long context reasoning and advanced tool use.
The engine allows Gemini to agentically search for relevant personal details, then combine them into one response.
Privacy controls and known limits
Google is stressing privacy hard here. Connected apps are off by default. Users can turn them on or off anytime. Data is encrypted at rest and protected in transit using Application Layer Transport Security.
Gemini does not train directly on Gmail inboxes or Photos libraries. Training uses limited information like prompts and responses, after filtering personal data.
Google also lists clear limitations. The system can overpersonalize, mix up timelines, confuse relationships, or assume a purchase means something was actually used. Users can correct Gemini directly, though Google admits corrections may sometimes be missed.
How to enable Personal Intelligence
The feature is rolling out to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the US. It works on web, Android, and iOS.
To enable it:
- Open Gemini
- Go to Settings
- Tap Personal Intelligence
- Select Connected Apps like Gmail or Photos
Google says Personal Intelligence will expand to more countries and to AI Mode in Search over time.
This seems like an early look at what truly personal AI could feel like. Less guessing. More context. Still imperfect, but clearly moving in a new direction.
