If composing the perfect email isn't your forte, help from Google could be on the way, in the form of a new AI voice feature for Gmail that's set to make composing emails less of a chore for Android users. .
At its IO event in March last year, Google announced a new 'Help Me Write' tool that creates email drafts based on written prompts you enter; For example, you could ask the AI to compose an email party invitation or a job application.
The feature is currently only available in Google's invite-only Workspace Labs program, which allows select users to try out new AI features before they are rolled out to users more broadly.
Now it looks like Google is getting better at allowing you to send messages with your voice, rather than having to type them. The updated feature is called 'Email Eraser with Voice' and was spotted by Android blog TheSpAndroid. The new voice feature is currently only available in Google Workspace Labs and we still don't know when any of these AI tools will officially launch.
Gmail's new feature goes beyond the voice typing capabilities you'll currently find on a standard keyboard on an Android device. “Email Draft with Voice,” like “Help Me Write,” is built into the Gmail app, rather than being an option on your keyboard.
Integrated into Gmail
As you can see in the images above, “Email Draft with Voice” opens immediately above your device's keyboard when you start a new email. You can then tap the microphone icon to start recording your message, for example, “Schedule a meeting with John for next Friday at 3 pm to discuss the project.”
To send the message, tap “Create” and Gmail will generate a complete email draft; You can then edit the text or ask Gmail to generate a new version, and you can also provide feedback on the generated text.
As mentioned, we still don't know when 'Help Me Write' or 'Email Draft with Voice' will be publicly available, or which devices will support these features. But it's an interesting look at the time-saving features that could soon be available in the Gmail app.
