Google is replacing the Gemini side panel in Chat with Ask Gemini: here's what changes on 26 August 2026

From 26 August 2026, the Gemini side panel in Google Chat is gone. In its place, Google is rolling out Ask Gemini in Chat, a more deeply integrated AI workspace that sits directly inside Chat rather than alongside it. If your team relies on Google Chat as a daily hub, there are a few things worth knowing before the change lands, including one that requires action.

What Ask Gemini in Chat actually does

Google describes Ask Gemini in Chat as “a unified command line for your work, powered by Workspace Intelligence.” In practice, that means five things you can do without leaving Chat:

Search across Workspace. Ask Gemini can pull in information from Gmail, Drive, and Calendar in a single query, rather than requiring you to open each app separately.
Generate content. You can draft updates or create images directly from the Chat interface.
Catch up on conversations. Ask Gemini can summarise discussions across multiple threads so you can get up to speed quickly.
Handle scheduling and tasks. You can schedule meetings and manage tasks from inside Chat, without breaking into a separate tab.
Organise work into sessions. Conversations are structured into individual sessions, so you can revisit and continue work on specific topics over time.

Much of this overlaps with what the Gemini side panel offered, including finding files, capturing action items, and summarising conversations. The difference is that Ask Gemini is a first-class surface inside Chat, not a drawer you open on the side.

The one thing that does not carry over

This is the part that matters most for anyone who has been using the Gemini side panel in Chat: your conversation history will not migrate automatically.

If you have notes, summaries, or outputs saved in those side-panel conversations, they will not appear in Ask Gemini in Chat. To keep them, you or your Workspace administrator will need to export them via Google Takeout, under the “Gemini in Workspace” section. Do this before the rollout reaches your account.

It is also worth noting that Gems, Google’s custom AI personas, will no longer be accessible from the Chat side panel. They remain available in the Gemini side panels within other Workspace apps such as Docs and Gmail, just not in Chat going forward.

How to find and use it

Once Ask Gemini in Chat is available on your account, you will find it in the left-hand sidebar under “Shortcuts”. You can also open it with a keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + G on ChromeOS or Windows, and Command + G on macOS.

Eligibility requires enrolment in Workspace Smart Features, and the feature needs to be switched on at the admin level. Specifically, both “Gemini in Workspace in Chat” and “Workspace Intelligence for all apps” must be enabled. If your organisation has those settings active, Ask Gemini in Chat will be on by default.

Who gets it and when

The rollout begins on 26 August 2026 and is gradual, meaning it may take up to 15 days before it appears on all eligible accounts. Both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains are included from the same date.

Supported plans are Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, and Google AI Pro for Education. The initial rollout covers accounts using English only. Users on other languages will continue using the existing Gemini side panel until Google extends language support.

Through 1 October 2026, Google is offering promotional access to higher usage limits, giving teams time to explore the feature before standard plan limits apply.

The broader picture

This change fits a pattern Google has been building across Workspace through 2026. In February, Google Chat became a data source in the Gemini app at gemini.google.com. A similar Ask Gemini surface rolled out to Google Drive earlier in 2026. The direction is consistent: Gemini is moving from a panel you open on the side to something woven into each app’s primary interface.

For Chat specifically, that means Gemini stops feeling like an add-on and starts functioning as part of how the tool works. Whether that shift suits your team’s workflow will depend on how you use Chat, but the capability set is meaningfully broader than what the side panel offered.

What to do before 26 August 2026

There are two practical steps worth taking ahead of the rollout:

Export your Gemini side-panel history in Chat if there is anything in those conversations you want to keep. Use Google Takeout and look for the “Gemini in Workspace” section. Admins can do this at the organisational level; individual users can also download their own history if permitted by their organisation’s settings.
Check your admin configuration. If you want Ask Gemini in Chat to be available to your team from day one, confirm that both “Gemini in Workspace in Chat” and “Workspace Intelligence for all apps” are enabled in the Admin Console.

The feature itself should be a welcome consolidation for teams already invested in Google Chat. The history migration gap is the only real friction point, and it is entirely avoidable with a bit of preparation before the deadline.