Gmail on Android will soon let you use AI for drafting emails

Gmail stands out as one of the top email apps for Android. Sure, part of its popularity comes from being preloaded on a ton of Android phones worldwide, but the app itself deserves props—it’s pretty darn good. Now, Google is kicking things up a notch by introducing the Help Me Write feature to enhance the Gmail experience. This functionality uses AI to assist you in swiftly composing emails. Currently, users need to input written prompts for the AI to analyze, but down the road, it might even support voice prompts.

TheSpAndroid has given us a sneak peek at an upcoming Gmail app feature that allows you to “draft an email with your voice.” Just speak out your prompts, and the AI embedded in the Gmail app will take the lead in drafting your email. Check out these screenshots showcasing the feature in action, activated through test flags:

The Draft Email with Voice feature in Gmail is reminiscent of voice functions on keyboard apps, but it seems to have a couple of notable distinctions. Firstly, it’s integrated directly within the Gmail app, so you can use it even if your keyboard app doesn’t support voice input. Secondly, it’s not just straightforward voice dictation. Your voice is used to input the prompt, and then the AI takes over to draft the email—an aspect that most keyboard apps won’t provide.

This feature makes things easy—when you start a new email or reply to one, the voice typing interface pops up with a sizable mic button. Just tap it to start recording your prompt. After you’re done, hit the “Create” feature, and the AI will take care of drafting the email. If you exit the interface, a chip shows up on the email screen, giving you the option to return to the feature.

It’s not crystal clear when Google plans to release this feature on Gmail for Android. Right now, Help Me Write is limited to Google Workspace Labs users in the US and is functional only in English. We figure that the Draft Email with Voice feature will likely debut for this specific group of Gmail users first and then expand to a broader audience once Help Me Write becomes available to them too.