Examples of how to use Ask Gemini
Use ‘Ask Gemini’ in Drive to group related files, like financial reports or pitch decks, as sources. Then, ask questions to help connect the dots across your data.
- Prep for client meetings: Add your pitch deck and historical contracts to ask:
"Synthesize the client feedback from Q1 meeting notes and write a list of specific requirements I should bring up on today's call based on our latest product deck." - Track insights across teams: Group operational reports and meeting notes to ask:
"Identify the top 3 risks mentioned across the Q2 operational updates,"or"Compare the Q3 budget forecast sheet against our Q4 projected spend presentations." - Manage project status: Centralize active drafts and trackers to ask:
"Read the notes from Tuesday's marketing meeting sync and summarize all open action items that pertain to the social team."
Open Ask Gemini from a specific file or folder
- On your Android phone or tablet, tap Ask Gemini.
- Ask your question in the prompt box.
Tips:
- You will get a full-screen Gemini experience on your mobile device if you have a Google AI Ultra or Pro personal account, or if you are in Workspace Experiments or the Alpha trusted tester program. In this full-screen mode, you can expand your Search settings, view Conversation history, and add Sources (Drive files or specific Gmail emails).
- When you start a chat from scratch, search settings for other Workspace apps (Drive, Gmail, Chat, and Calendar) are turned on by default. Gemini will use this wider context to answer questions. Web search remains off by default.
Resume and refine your research
Gemini automatically saves your conversation history so you can pick up your work later without losing context.
- On your Android phone or tablet, tap Ask Gemini
.
- At the top left, tap More options
. Your conversation history will appear in the chat window.
- Continue the chat where you left off.
Manage sources and search settings
You can choose specific files and folders for Gemini to use when answering your questions in Drive.
Manage your active sources:
- To add files and folders: In the bottom left of your mobile device, tap
.
- To remove files or folders: Tap a file or folder in the list click Remove
. This deletes the file from the analysis but keeps it safe in your Drive.
- To temporarily exclude a file: Uncheck the box next to the filename. You can ask questions without Gemini referencing it, without fully removing it from the list.
.Use suggested sources
Gemini may suggest additional files based on your current sources or project name.
Important: Suggested files are not used by Ask Gemini until you explicitly add them. Your analysis stays focused only on the data you approve.
- To view suggestions, click Suggested in the left panel to expand the section.
- To add a suggestion, click Add
Broaden your search
To broaden your search across your entire Workspace:
- In the bottom left of your mobile device, tap
- Tap Where Gemini can search to view your options. If you want to limit locations, you can uncheck specific locations:
- Select Drive to search your wider Drive content beyond pinned sources.
- Select Chat, Calendar, or Gmail to search recent communications and meeting schedules.
- Select Web to search the internet for supplemental public data.
Learn more about search settings.
Verify answers with citations
When Gemini answers a question based on your sources, it provides citations so you can review where the information came from.
- Tap the small number (for example, [1]) at the end of a sentence to see which file provided the information.
- Click the file chip in the citation to open the original document in a new tab.