How-to

Gmail nudges not working: how to turn them on, and what they will never catch

Nudges are Gmail's built-in reminders. One kind resurfaces an email you forgot to answer; the other resurfaces a sent email that got no reply. They are free, quiet and worth switching on. They are also a guess, not a tracker. Here is where the settings live on each platform, why nudges often do not show up, and when you need something that keeps an actual list.

See how it works

By the Momo AI team. 4 min read. Published 16 October 2026.

Why are Gmail nudges not working?

Usually one of three things: nudges are off, conversation view is off, or Gmail did not judge the thread worth a nudge. Both nudge types sit in Settings. On the web they are on the General tab under Nudges, with two options, Suggest emails to reply to and Suggest emails to follow up on. Google's help page says conversation view must be on before nudges appear. Even when everything is on, nudges only surface the threads Gmail guesses are important, so some will be missed.

Turn on nudges on the web

Both options are described on Google's help page. The suggestion itself appears on the thread at the top of your inbox.

  1. 1Open Gmail on a computer and click the Settings gear, then See all settings.
  2. 2On the General tab, make sure Conversation view is on.
  3. 3Scroll to Nudges.
  4. 4Tick Suggest emails to reply to to be reminded about mail you may have forgotten to answer.
  5. 5Tick Suggest emails to follow up on to be reminded about sent mail that got no reply.
  6. 6Click Save Changes at the bottom.

Turn on nudges on Android

The setting is per account, so if you have a personal and a work Gmail in the app, set it in each.

  1. 1Open the Gmail app, tap Menu at the top left, then Settings.
  2. 2Tap the account you want to change.
  3. 3Under Nudges, tap Reply and follow up.
  4. 4Select Suggest emails to reply to, Suggest emails to follow up on, or both.

Turn on nudges on iPhone or iPad

As on the web, conversation view has to be on for nudges to show. On iPhone that lives in the same Settings screen.

  1. 1Open the Gmail app, tap Menu at the top left, then Settings.
  2. 2Under Inbox, tap Inbox customizations, then Nudges.
  3. 3Select Suggest emails to reply to, Suggest emails to follow up on, or both.

Why it isn't working

Work down this list in order; the first three fix most cases.

  • Conversation view is off. Google states this as a requirement. Turn it on and give Gmail a few days.
  • Only one of the two options is on. Suggest emails to reply to and Suggest emails to follow up on are separate settings; the follow-up one is the one most people actually want.
  • You are looking in the wrong account. The setting is per Gmail account on every platform.
  • Gmail did not think the thread mattered. Nudges are a heuristic based on signals Gmail does not publish. They tend to appear on a few threads, not on every unanswered email, and you cannot force one on a specific thread.
  • You already dealt with the thread elsewhere. If you replied from another client, archived it, or the other person replied in a new thread, Gmail has no reason to nudge.
  • You want a list. Nudges appear one at a time at the top of the inbox and disappear when you act. They never show you everything you are waiting on in one place.

Nudges vs search vs snooze vs a tracker

Nudges are the zero-effort option and the least complete. A sent-mail search finds every candidate but takes a few minutes and some reading; how to see every email you're still waiting on a reply to walks through the exact search. Snoozing a thread when you send it is reliable but only for threads you remember to snooze; see Gmail snooze vs reminders. A tracker is the only one that keeps a full list, counts the days, and tells you the moment a reply arrives. Keep nudges on regardless; they cost nothing and catch a few things you would have missed.

The AI shortcut

Momo AI's follow-up tracking does what nudges hint at. It finds every thread you sent that got no answer, keeps them in one list with the number of days waiting, drops a thread the moment the reply lands, and after the number of days you set drafts the nudge in your own writing style to Gmail Drafts. The same list arrives in your morning brief, so you see who owes you a reply before you open the inbox. You read the draft and tap Send.

Control

Nothing leaves without you

Every email and every cancellation shows up as a card first. Edit it, send it, or discard it. Sends wait 10 seconds so you can undo. Everything Momo AI reads, drafts and sends is on the Activity page.

How Momo AI handles your data

Questions

What are nudges in Gmail?

Reminders Gmail shows at the top of the inbox for emails you may have forgotten to reply to, and for sent emails that may need a follow-up. They are controlled by two settings under `Nudges`.

How do I turn on follow-up reminders in Gmail?

Open Settings, then `See all settings`, and under `Nudges` on the `General` tab tick `Suggest emails to follow up on`. Conversation view must be on.

Why don't I get nudges on every unanswered email?

Nudges are a guess based on signals Gmail does not publish. They surface a few threads it judges important, not a complete list of unanswered mail.

Do Gmail nudges work on the mobile app?

Yes. On Android they are under `Settings`, your account, `Nudges`, `Reply and follow up`. On iPhone they are under `Settings`, `Inbox customizations`, `Nudges`.

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