1. “Help me write”
“Help me write” can create email drafts based on simple instructions. The feature is currently available as part of the Workspace Labs program, and you can sign up to join the program here. Once you have access to the tool, you can see the “Help me write” icon when composing a new email in Gmail. Look for the star with a pencil, and add a prompt explaining what you want the email to focus on – for example, asking a friend for book recommendations, especially books set in picturesque areas. When you click “Create,” you will see a draft based on your guidance. Choose “Add” or “Narrow down” to tailor it to your preferences. You can also select the style and make the email more formal, innovative, or concise, according to your needs. You can also try feeling lucky and let “Help me write” choose the tone for you. Gmail has recently added the ability to pull details from the previous thread to help fill in contextual gaps.
2. Smart Compose
Smart Compose is great for situations where you don’t need help starting from scratch but would still appreciate suggestions for improvement. The suggestion will be displayed as you type, and with a click, you can accept it and continue writing. This feature is especially efficient for writing in a non-native language and can provide a wider vocabulary.
3. Smart Reply
The ability to respond within seconds without typing anything. This feature generates up to three possible replies to emails you receive. With just two clicks, you can select and send the reply.
Smart Reply uses advanced machine learning technology based on past examples to identify a suitable set of potential responses from a large pool of diverse responses. This means that instead of simple responses like “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe,” you will see more nuanced options like “Sounds great, count me in,” “Sorry, I can’t make it tomorrow,” or “Awesome, I’ll be there!”
“The Gmail team conducted user research and found that even typing such responses takes a little time, so we thought it was a good opportunity for us to do something to help.”
4. Tabs in the Inbox
The inbox should be easy to navigate. Gmail tabs rely on a classification system to decide where an email should go based on different signals, like the sender of the email. Then, messages go into one of five different inbox tabs: Primary, Promotions, Social, Updates, and Forums. If a message appears in one tab that belongs in another, you can drag that email to its correct classification to help train the model based on your personal preferences.
