Google has begun rolling out one of the highly anticipated features announced at the I/O 2024 developer conference—Gemini AI-powered contextual Smart Replies in the Gmail app for Android and iOS. This new enhancement aims to make email responses faster and more intuitive by offering users tailored reply suggestions based on the full context of an ongoing email thread.
The contextual Smart Replies, powered by Google’s Gemini AI, provide three suggested responses after a user starts replying to an email. These suggested replies appear in a carousel format, and each one is designed to reflect a distinct tone and theme, helping users choose the response that best matches the intent of their message. Users can long-press on any of the suggested replies to preview the full text, which includes a greeting and closing, allowing for a more complete and polished email response.
Once a user taps on one of the suggestions, the text is inserted into the body of the email, making it easy to modify or personalize further before hitting send. This streamlined process is designed to save time while ensuring that the email conveys the right message.
“We’re excited to announce a new Gemini feature in Gmail, contextual Smart Replies, that will offer more detailed responses to fully capture the intent of your message,” stated Google in a post on Google Workspace Updates.
Limited availability for now
Currently, the contextual Smart Replies feature supports only the English language and is being rolled out to specific user groups. These include Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium, and Google One AI Premium subscribers. The feature is accessible through the Gmail app on both Android and iOS platforms.
To activate the feature, users need to have the “Smart features and personalization” setting enabled in their Gmail account. While the rollout has already begun, Google expects the feature to become widely available in the coming weeks.
A smarter reply experience
Google first introduced the Smart Reply feature in Gmail back in 2017. The original version used basic machine learning to suggest three simple responses to emails, typically short phrases like “Sounds good,” “Let me check,” or “Thanks!” While useful, the responses were often generic and lacked the depth needed for more complex email conversations.
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With the new Gemini-powered contextual Smart Replies, Google aims to take the concept further by offering more nuanced and detailed responses. Instead of offering replies based solely on the latest message in the thread, the new feature analyzes the entire email conversation. This enables the AI to provide more sophisticated suggestions that are tailored to the specific context of the discussion, making the replies more relevant and conversational.
The use of Google’s Gemini AI in this feature represents a significant leap in email automation, blending advanced language understanding with convenience. According to Google, this enhancement is designed to help users communicate more efficiently, particularly in a fast-paced work environment where email responses often need to be quick but thoughtful.
As the feature continues to roll out, users across different sectors—business, education, and enterprise—can expect more personalized and accurate responses, improving their email communication experience.
