When Google introduced the Gemini side panels for Gmail and other workspace apps, it said its generative AI chatbots would also be able to provide contextually intelligent responses to the email service in the future. Now, the company has officially released the feature. Smart replies have been in Gmail since 2017, and while they are impersonal, they offer a quick way to reply to messages when you’re in a hurry or on the go.
However, these machine-generated responses are very limited, often consisting of just a one-line message to let the recipient know that you understand what they’re saying or that you agree with their suggestion.
The new smart replies generated by Gemini take into account the entire content of the email thread. You may have to edit it a little, but it’s more detailed and personal if you want to get as close as possible to what you would write yourself. Once you get this feature, you’ll see multiple reply options at the bottom of the screen when replying from the Gmail app. Just hover over each item to see a detailed preview and choose the option that you think will give you the best answer.
You can access this feature if you have the Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, or Education Premium add-on or if you have a Google One AI Premium subscription. According to Google, it may take up to 15 days for Gemini Smart Replies to appear in the app. Be sure to check Smart Features and Customization on the Gmail app settings page.