- Strings in the latest Gmail update hint at some new Google Chat features in testing.
- Notification summaries in Gmail might work independently of Android 16’s system-wide version, bringing the feature to more devices.
- Gmail may also offer auto-generated conversation summaries and finally notify you when someone reacts to your Chat messages.
Little by little, Gmail is slowly turning into more of a one-stop hub than an inbox. Google has been weaving Chat into the app for a while now, allowing you to send direct messages, jump into group conversations, or hang out in team Spaces. And it looks like that integration is about to go even deeper. In the latest Gmail update (v.2025.08.18.796307704.Release), we spotted lines of code pointing to three possible new Chat features: notification summaries, proactive conversation summaries, and emoji reaction notifications.
<string name="hub_notification_summaries_setting_subtitle">Enable summaries in notification</string>
<string name="hub_notification_summaries_setting_title">Notification Summaries</string>Starting with the strings above, they call out what appears to be a “Notification Summaries” toggle with the description “Enable summaries in notification.” That might not sound like much, but it’s interesting because Android 16 is already working on its own system-level notification summaries powered by Gemini Nano. Having a separate setting inside Gmail suggests Google may be testing a version that works even if your phone doesn’t get the Android-wide feature. It’s not clear if these strings are related, but if not, Chat messages could be summarized directly in Gmail, no matter which device you’re on.