Composing your Gmail messages on the go could soon be a lot simpler thanks to several tweaks and updates.
The email service is reportedly working on a "voice compose" feature that could let users draft messages using just their voice, with AI helping refine and finalize their messages before sending.
The new addition could be part of an expansion for the existing "Help me write" tool, part of the company's Duet AI platform, which has become ever-more entrenched in Google Workspace over the past few months.
Gmail voice compose
The update was uncovered by 9to5Google, which delved into the APK for the latest version of Gmail to try and see what new features are coming up.
The voice compose expansion could be an incredibly useful tool for those looking to send quick messages or replies whilst travelling, or heading to a meeting or appointment, with Duet AI picking up the pieces to craft your voice note into a formal message.
The 9to5Google team also uncovered signs that Duet AI’s “Help me write” capability could also be getting a slight overhaul concerning how it is launched.
The tool was previously launched using an icon in the bottom-right corner of the compose screen, however this icon, (taking the form of a pen with a sparkle) now appears to have shifted up to a new location at the head of the message, next to the attachment, send, and overflow menu buttons, bringing it into line with Gmail's standard layout.
If your email is blank, tapping on Help me write will now offer a prompt or suggestion for the message. If you have begun writing, it will instead display a “Refine my message” menu, offering options such as Formalize, Elaborate, and Shorten, alongside "Write a draft" which will return to the prompt field.
The changes to "Help me write" have rolled out for Gmail on Android and iOS today, but as for the "voice compose", we'll just have to wait and see - as although their presence in the APK is a good indication that Google is working on introducing them, it could still be some time.
Google announced its AI-powered Help Me Write tool for Gmail was coming to both Android and iOS to help users draft email replies back in June 2023.
Help Me Write, which was previously only available to enrolled Workspace testers on desktop, can edit an email you’ve already written, or you can provide the tool with a quick prompt and it’ll draft the whole thing for you, before allowing you to edit it yourself, or use the same refinements to tweak the length and tone.
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