Lesson 1: What You Have: Plans, IT Controls and Gemini Access

Before you start: about this course

This course is independent of Google. Google does not endorse, sponsor or review it. It does not reproduce Google's documentation. When you need the official wording, go to Google's own help pages, which change often.

That matters here because Gmail, Calendar and Gemini change every month. Plans get renamed, AI features move between tiers, and screens get redesigned. Everything in this lesson was checked on 1 November 2026. Treat any detail as something to confirm, not as fixed.

In this lesson you will do three things:

1. Identify your account type.
2. Check whether you have Gemini in Gmail and Calendar, and where it comes from.
3. Write a one-page "What I have" record to use for the rest of the course.

Task 1: Identify your account type

The features you get depend on the kind of account you use. There are three broad types:

• Personal Google account. Usually an @gmail.com address. It is free, and you can add a paid Google AI plan (at the time of checking: Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra).
• Google Workspace business plan. A company address (for example you@startup.com) paid for by your organisation. Business plans come as Starter, Standard and Plus.
• Corporate or enterprise plan. Workspace Enterprise (or Education) editions, run by an IT department with its own policies.

Do this:

1. Open Gmail and look at the address you are signed in with (click your profile picture, top right on the web; top right in the mobile app).
2. If it ends in @gmail.com, you have a personal account. Go to your Google account's subscriptions page (one.google.com) to see whether you pay for a Google AI plan.
3. If it is a company or school address, it is a Workspace account. You usually can't see the edition name yourself. Ask your IT team or account owner: "Which Workspace edition are we on, and is Gemini turned on for me?"
4. Write the answer and today's date at the top of your record.

Example: Priya uses priya@gmail.com for side projects and priya@acme.co at work. She needs two records, because the two accounts can have very different features.

Task 2: Know which features depend on the plan

From Google's pages as checked on 1 November 2026:

• Workspace Business Starter includes the Gemini assistant in Gmail but not in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Meet or Chat. Standard, Plus and Enterprise include Gemini across those apps.
• Personal accounts without a paid plan get a few Gemini features, often only in the US or only in English. For example, thread summaries are available worldwide in 8 languages, but Help me write is US-only for these accounts.
• Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra, or an eligible Workspace plan unlocks more, such as Help me write worldwide and AI Overviews in Gmail search.
• Some features need a Workspace plan only. "Help me schedule" in Gmail (web only, English, US) is one example, and so is having Gemini suggest meeting times in Calendar (web only, not in the mobile apps).
• Some features are mobile-only or web-only. Gmail Live (voice questions about your mail) runs only in the Android and iOS apps. Proofread runs only on the web.
• Some features are limited by region or language. AI Inbox, for example, was listed as English and US only.

Later lessons cover each feature. For now, just note that plan, country, language and device all affect what you see.

Task 3: Check for IT controls and Gemini access

On a Workspace account, your administrator decides what you get. Google's admin guidance says Gemini features in Workspace services are on by default, but admins can switch Gemini in Gmail or Calendar off, either for everyone or for particular teams. Even on a personal account, Gemini only works if you have smart features turned on.

Do this on the web (Gmail):

1. Click Settings (gear) > See all settings.
2. On the General tab, find the smart features settings, including Google Workspace smart features. Note whether they are on. Don't change anything you are unsure about. On a work account, your company's policy may set these.
3. Close settings and look for the Gemini icon (top right), or a summary option on a long conversation.
4. Open Google Calendar on the web and look for the same Gemini icon.

On mobile (Gmail app): open the menu, then Settings. On Android, tap your account; on iPhone, tap Data privacy. Find the smart features toggles. Changes apply to your whole account, so you only need to set them on one device.

Then decide which case you are in:

• Gemini is visible and comes from a Google AI plan (personal).
• Gemini is visible and comes from your Workspace plan.
• Gemini is not available: your plan doesn't include it, IT has switched it off, smart features are off, or it hasn't reached your country or language yet.

Task 4: Write your "What I have" record

Create a one-page document with this template:

• Account and type: (e.g. priya@acme.co, Workspace, edition per IT)
• Date checked:
• Gemini in Gmail: yes / no / partly, and where it comes from (Google AI plan or Workspace)
• Gemini in Calendar: yes / no
• Smart features: on / off / set by IT
• Missing (plan): features your plan lacks
• Switched off by IT: features your admin has disabled
• Preview or unconfirmed: features labelled as preview, or that you couldn't confirm
• Device limits: features that only work on web or only on mobile

Keep this record next to you. Whenever a later lesson teaches a feature, check it against the record first.

Key takeaways

• This course is independent of Google and reproduces none of its documentation. Use Google's current help pages for official details.
• Your account type (personal, Workspace business or enterprise) decides which features you get. Your country, language and device also matter.
• Workspace Business Starter has Gemini in Gmail only. Standard and above have it across apps.
• Admins can switch Gemini off in Gmail or Calendar, and Gemini also needs smart features turned on.
• Date every check. Plans and AI features change monthly.