Everything below refers to the version of Gemini tested during May 202
Google is heavily promoting Gemini as the ultimate “AI side-kick,” an intelligent assistant poised to revolutionize how we work. The promise is enticing: an AI that can sift through your Gmail, intelligently add meetings to your Calendar, and manage your Google Tasks, all while you focus on the bigger picture. It sounds like a dream for anyone looking to get more done.
But as someone who’s been testing the free version, particularly its integration with core Google Workspace apps, I’ve found the reality is far more complex. While moments of brilliance shine through, the overall experience is currently very hit-or-miss, too inconsistent to build a critical workflow around just yet.
Let’s dive into what Gemini aims to do for your productivity, how it performed in real-world tests, and the significant hurdles Google still needs to overcome.
How Can Google Gemini Boost Your Productivity? (The Features)
Gemini operates through a web app, browser, dedicated Android/iOS clients, and even a handy Chrome sidebar. To unlock its true potential, you need to enable the “Workspace apps extension.” Once connected, Gemini should be able to:
- Summarise Gmail threads and intelligently pull out key information like dates or action items.
- Create and read Google Calendar events, turning natural language requests into scheduled appointments.
- Add, list, and manage items in your Google Tasks lists.
- Access and process information from Google Drive and Google Keep.
It’s important to note that the paid Gemini Advanced tier (around £20 / $20 per month) primarily offers a larger context window and longer voice sessions; it does not guarantee (as far as my Googling has shown up) more reliable access to these Workspace app integrations.
Connecting Your Apps: The Gemini Workspace Extension Explained
The magic is supposed to happen via the Workspace extension. You grant Gemini permission to access your Google apps, theoretically allowing it to act on your behalf. Is this a security risk? Probably not in the traditional sense. Google already holds all this data; you’re simply allowing one Google service (Gemini) to talk to other Google services you use. It’s not like you’re handing your keys over to a third party.
However, actually getting – and keeping – this connection working is where things get tricky.
“Why Can’t Gemini Access My Apps?” – Troubleshooting Common Issues
Many users, including myself, frequently encounter messages like “I can’t access your Gmail right now, but that feature is coming soon.” Why is this happening?
- Beta Status & Phased Rollouts: Google explicitly states these extensions are still in beta. Availability can vary, and Google sometimes temporarily disables features. Their own support documentation notes limitations, especially for certain Workspace accounts.
- Admin Controls: If you’re using a Workspace (business/education) account, an administrator must enable “Allow access to Workspace apps in Beta.” If this isn’t toggled on, Gemini will remain walled off.
- Permissions “Timing Out”: This was the most frustrating issue in my testing with a standard consumer Gmail account. Permissions seem to silently expire after a few hours of inactivity. Gemini reverts to being a text-only chatbot, and you have to manually re-enable each app connection. It’s a significant barrier to seamless use.
- Google’s Shifting Goalposts: Interestingly, Google now seems to frame the main purpose of these connections as helping Gemini “learn preferences for better answers,” rather than providing robust app control. This suggests we should view any successful automation as a bonus, not a core, guaranteed feature – at least for now.
Can Gemini Really Manage Your Gmail Inbox?
The Promise: Quickly digest long email chains and find dates without manual searching.
My Experience: This is where I saw the most initial promise.
- What Works (Sometimes): When the extension is live, asking “Summarise my unread emails since yesterday” yields a useful bulleted list. Even more impressively, I asked, “When is my appointment next week?” Gemini correctly pulled the time and date from the body text of an email – an appointment I hadn’t even added to my calendar!
- What Fails: That initial success was fleeting. Later, when I tried the exact same prompt, I got the “I can’t access your Gmail” message. Furthermore, Gemini cannot send, reply, or schedule emails; it can only draft text for you to copy and paste.
Using Gemini for Calendar Management: Hit or Miss?
The Promise: Add events using natural language.
My Experience: Highly unpredictable.
- What Works (Sometimes): “Add coffee with Alex tomorrow at 10 AM” did occasionally create a basic calendar event.
- What Fails: Most of the time, I got the “I don’t have Calendar access yet” brush-off. It struggles significantly with even simple events – forget about recurring appointments, inviting guests, or specifying secondary calendars without manual intervention.
Can Gemini Be Your Google Tasks Assistant for GTD?
The Promise: Plan projects and capture tasks through conversation, having them automatically added to your lists, a potential game-changer for GTD (Getting Things Done).
My Experience: This was perhaps the most revealing (and disappointing) test, especially as someone who relies on FOSS task managers.
- What Works (Sort Of): Gemini could see my existing Google Tasks lists (when the connection held). It could also add new tasks when I asked it to (“Add ‘Write Gemini article’ to my ‘Work’ list”).
- What Fails: Here’s the catch: when I asked Gemini to review the tasks on my ‘Work’ list, it only showed me the task it had just added. It completely ignored the tasks I had created manually in the Google Tasks web interface moments before. It seems Gemini has a temporary memory buffer, and the sync with the actual Tasks API is slow and unreliable. This lag makes real-time project reviews or a GTD weekly review impossible using Gemini alone.
Will Upgrading to Gemini Advanced Solve These Problems?
In a word: No. Upgrading gets you a more powerful model capable of handling larger inputs (like huge PDFs) and offers longer voice chat sessions. It might feel ‘smarter’, but it doesn’t fix the underlying instability of the Workspace app extensions. The connection drop-outs and API issues affect both free and paid users.
The Verdict: Is Gemini Ready to Be Your Productivity Partner?
Gemini shows flashes of its potential, but right now, it’s more of a fascinating tech demo than a reliable productivity tool.
Pros:
- Occasional, handy email summaries.
- Quick voice capture (especially on mobile) can be useful if the connection works.
Cons:
- Unpredictable access: The core issue. You never know if it will work.
- Limited functionality: Lacks advanced features for Calendar and Tasks.
- API lag: Makes real-time task management impractical.
- Google’s own messaging: Downplaying automation in favour of ‘personalisation’.
Recommendation:
Treat Google Gemini as an interesting experiment. Play with it, see what it can do when it is working, but do not abandon your current productivity system or Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) setup. Whether you use Obsidian, Logseq, a dedicated FOSS task manager, or even just pen and paper, keep it as your central hub.
Check back on Gemini’s Workspace integration every few months. Once Google manages to stabilise this bridge, it could become a genuinely useful tool. But right now, it’s a squire that keeps dropping the sword – not yet ready for the productivity battlefield.
