Google expands Personal Intelligence to free users in the US

In short: Google says all free-tier users in the United States can now opt in to Personal Intelligence across Google Search AI Mode, the Gemini app, and Gemini in Chrome.

What happened

Google announced on March 17, 2026 that it is expanding its Personal Intelligence feature to all free-tier users in the United States. The feature is optional, and it only works for personal Google accounts, not business or school accounts.

Personal Intelligence changes how Google’s AI answers you by letting it use information from other Google services you use. Google says it can connect data from more than a dozen places, including Gmail, Drive, Maps, Google Photos, past purchases, travel history, and device usage. Think of it like giving the assistant permission to look at your own notes and past plans before it replies (instead of starting from zero each time).

Google says this can help with tasks like suggesting items similar to something you bought before, planning a trip based on earlier vacations, troubleshooting a phone issue using device data, and making daily summaries from your calendar and emails. To turn it on, you switch to AI Mode in Search or open the Gemini app, then opt in through settings and choose which services to connect.

The feature previously launched in mid-January 2026 for Google’s paid AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Google has not shared timing for expanding it beyond the US.

Why it matters

This brings more personalized AI help to many more people without a subscription, but it also raises a practical tradeoff. The more personal data you connect, the more helpful the answers can be, and the more you may want to review privacy controls and decide what you are comfortable sharing.

Source: TechCrunch AI