Google has launched a beta feature for its Gemini AI, called Personal Intelligence, allowing users to personalise their AI experience by connecting apps like Gmail, Google Photos, YouTube and Search with a single tap.

By linking apps, Gemini can reason across emails, photos and videos to provide tailored answers, from suggesting travel plans to retrieving specific details such as a license plate number or a past purchase.

The move aims to make Gemini more “personal, proactive and powerful,” said Google Labs VP Josh Woodward.

Woodward described a real-world example where Gemini helped select tires for his minivan. The AI not only retrieved the correct tire size from Gmail and Photos but also suggested options for daily driving and all-weather use, referencing past road trips stored in Photos.

Privacy is central to the feature. Connections to apps are off by default and users control which apps Gemini can access.

Google says Personal Intelligence does not use personal data to train the model directly, it only references it to respond to requests, with anonymised prompts and responses used for system improvements. Sensitive topics like health are handled cautiously, with Gemini avoiding proactive assumptions.

The beta rollout begins today in the US for Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, across Web, Android and iOS. Google plans to expand access over time and integrate the feature into AI Mode in Search. Personal accounts are supported but Workspace business, enterprise or education users are excluded for now.

The announcement comes shortly after Apple confirmed a multi-year partnership with Google to use Gemini for its next-generation Siri.

The deal, reportedly worth around US$1 billion annually, will allow Apple to integrate Gemini-powered AI into Siri and Apple Intelligence while maintaining its privacy standards.