Google Meet can now draft your follow-up email after a call
Google's new "next steps" in Meet lets Gemini draft a Gmail follow-up or add action items to Tasks, but someone should read the draft before it goes to a client.
By Jason Sibley
What happened
On Monday 12 October, Google announced "next steps" in Google Meet. On the post-meeting screen there is now a section called "Routines for this meeting", and you can turn on next steps there with one tap. Google says the feature is "powered by Gemini and Workspace Studio". It turns what was discussed into actions "like drafting follow-up emails in Gmail or exporting action items to Google Tasks".
At launch there are only two next steps: draft a follow-up email, and add action items to Google Tasks. Google says "several more" are coming soon. Next steps only appear if "Take notes for me" was switched on during the meeting (we covered the notes defaults in an earlier piece). It works for one-off and recurring meetings, and you can turn on a particular next step across all your meetings, provided notes are on.
It is switched on by default. Admins can switch it off at domain, organisational unit or group level. They do that through the Workspace Studio admin settings or the "Take notes for me" setting. Individual users manage their next steps from the Meet post-call screen, or in the Workspace Studio Flows library once they have turned one on for the first time.
It is available on Business Standard and Business Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, and the Google AI Pro for Education add-on. Business Starter is not listed. The rollout began on 5 October for Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. It is an extended rollout, and Google says it could take longer than 15 days to become visible, so you may not see it yet.
What it means for a small business
The appeal is plain. A sales call or client meeting can end with a follow-up email already drafted. That saves time, and it makes it more likely the follow-up goes out at all, which is where a lot of small firms lose work.
The catch is that the draft comes from AI notes, and AI notes get things wrong. A misheard name is embarrassing. A follow-up that misstates a quote or a deadline is a real problem, because the client may hold you to it. Note that Google says Gemini drafts the email. It does not say it sends it, and nobody should treat it as finished.
There is also client data to think about. Notes and drafts may contain personal details, and under UK GDPR (or GDPR in Ireland) your business is still responsible for them. For anything legal, check with your adviser. People on the call should also know it is being noted.
Last month's change adds to this. On Business Standard and Plus, "Take notes for me" became on by default from 29 September for meetings with three or more guests. More of your calls will now produce notes without anyone deciding to, and a draft email is one tap away.
What you can do this week
- Check which Google Workspace plan you are on. If it is Business Standard or Plus, ask whoever runs your Workspace whether next steps should be on, off, or on for some groups only.
- On your next client call with notes on, try "draft a follow-up email". Compare the draft with what was actually agreed before you send anything.
- Set a simple team rule: whoever ran the call reads and edits the AI-drafted follow-up before it goes to a client. Be strictest with anything containing prices, dates or commitments.
- Try "add action items to Google Tasks" on an internal meeting first, where a mistake costs you nothing.
- Tell clients at the start of a call when notes are being taken.
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