Gmail thinks I'm stupid, so I left

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Reactions to Gmail’s AI Features

  • Many see Gmail’s new AI prompts (summaries, “help me write”, blue underlines, “Tab to improve”, “Press / to…” hints) as intrusive, disrespectful, and personality-erasing.
  • Some report outright harms: wrong AI summaries for logistics emails (deliveries, flights) and class‑action notices going to spam.
  • Others find some suggestions genuinely helpful (grammar, clarity, quick replies, long‑thread summaries) and accept ~50% of them.

Can You Turn It Off?

  • There is a global “smart features” toggle that removes most AI, but:
    • Turning it off also disables long‑standing features like automatic inbox categorization (Primary/Promotions/Social/Updates), which many rely on.
    • Some prompts (e.g., “Press / to help me write”) appear inconsistently; several suspect Chrome‑specific behavior or staged rollouts.
  • Some users report never seeing any of this, either because they disabled “smart features” when first prompted, or they use only IMAP clients.

Alternatives and Migration

  • Popular paid hosts: Fastmail, Proton Mail, mailbox.org, Purelymail, Migadu, Zoho, iCloud+, Infomaniak; a few self‑host via mailcow or similar.
  • General advice: buy your own domain so you can move providers without changing your address; set Gmail to forward and update logins gradually.
  • Fastmail gets strong praise for speed, lean UI, support, and custom domains; Proton praised for privacy but criticized for janky apps and weak search.
  • Some warn about deliverability issues when leaving Google/Microsoft; others say switching to reputable hosts solved prior deliverability problems.

Spam, Deliverability, and Oligopoly

  • Experiences diverge:
    • Some see Gmail’s spam filter as deteriorating, letting through marketing and phishing while misclassifying legitimate mail.
    • Others see almost no spam and very few false positives.
  • Several argue that Google/Microsoft/Apple/Yahoo have created an effective email oligopoly: running your own server is hard because big providers silently drop or spam‑folder your mail.

Privacy and Surveillance Concerns

  • A subset views using Gmail at all as irresponsible because of data mining and government access; others are resigned or indifferent, assuming “they already have everyone’s mail.”
  • Some prefer EU‑hosted or privacy‑branded providers; others note even those can have UX or reliability trade‑offs.

LLMs in Everyday Writing

  • Strong backlash against LLM‑written email: perceived as verbose, vacuous “slop” that wastes readers’ time and erases authentic voice.
  • Some see real value for:
    • Non‑native speakers and people with dyslexia or low literacy.
    • Professionals needing formal legal/insurance letters or bureaucratic forms.
  • Critics worry dependence will atrophy writing skills and that recipients now must “decompile” long AI text to the short intent that could’ve been written directly.

Wider AI & UX Backlash

  • Many see Google, Microsoft, and others as juicing AI engagement KPIs by:
    • Forcing AI into products, making opt‑out hard or coupled to loss of unrelated features.
    • Tying core functions (e.g., meeting recording in Teams) to AI toggles.
  • Windows 11, Chrome, Google search, Maps, Docs, and other products are cited as enshittified with constant nags, ads, and AI call‑outs.
  • Apple is viewed by some as relatively restrained so far, though others note creeping nags (iCloud storage, ads in Maps) and expect AI integration to arrive.

Why People Stay with Gmail

  • Despite anger, many stay because:
    • Gmail search and label model are still highly valued.
    • Automatic inbox categorization dramatically reduces inbox overload.
    • Network effects, “Login with Google,” and deep account entanglement (banks, government, licenses) make leaving daunting.
  • Several stress: the best time to adopt your own domain was years ago; the second‑best time is now.