Gmail could soon let you dictate all your work emails

“Voice compose” for Gmail coming to Android and iOS soon

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Composing yourGmailmessages on the go could soon be a lot simpler thanks to several tweaks and updates.

Theemailservice 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 inGoogle Workspaceover the past few months.

Gmail voice compose

The update was uncovered by9to5Google, 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.

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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 thatGoogleis working on introducing them, it could still be some time.

Google announced its AI-poweredHelp Me Write tool for Gmailwas 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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Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK’s leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he’s not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.

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