How to reply faster with Gmail's built-in AI, and where it falls short
Updated
Short answer: Turn on Gmail's smart features in Settings, then use Suggested Replies for a full reply drafted from the whole thread, Help me write to draft or rewrite in your own words, and the summary at the top of long threads to catch up. Personal accounts in the US get these at no cost, and paid Google AI and Workspace plans add replies in your own style and the AI Inbox. Gmail's AI helps with the email you've opened; deciding which emails need you, across Slack and meetings too, is still up to you.
Gmail has had suggested replies for years. Now Gemini drafts whole replies from the thread, rewrites what you've written and summarizes long conversations, and since January 2026 the basics are free for personal accounts in the US. Used well, it turns a ten-minute reply into a two-minute edit.
First, turn on smart features
All of these depend on Gmail's smart features, under Settings → See all settings → General. In the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland and Japan they're off until you turn them on.
Gmail's AI writing features
| What it does | Who gets it | |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Reply | Short suggested replies under some emails | Everyone |
| Smart Compose | Suggests the rest of your sentence as you type; Tab accepts | On by default |
| Suggested Replies | A full reply drafted from the whole thread | Personal accounts in the US, and paid plans; your own style needs a paid plan |
| Help me write | Drafts a new email, or rewrites yours: more formal, shorter, or as you instruct | Personal accounts in the US, and paid plans worldwide |
| Thread summaries | The key points of a long thread, at the top | Everyone, in eight languages |
| AI Inbox | Suggested to-dos and topics to catch up on, from your Primary tab | Beta: US, English, paid plans |
A two-minute reply
- Open the thread. If it's long, read the summary at the top first.
- Take the suggested reply, or ask Help me write for the answer you want.
- Edit it. Gmail never sends a draft for you; you press Send.
- Add what only you know: the decision, the date, the number. Google itself warns the AI can be wrong.
Where it falls short
- It helps with the email you open. Deciding which emails need you is still mostly yours; the AI Inbox's suggested to-dos are a start, in beta and from the Primary tab only.
- It knows Gmail and Drive. The Slack question, the promise from Tuesday's meeting and the coding agent waiting on a yes aren't in it.
- Nothing keeps track of what you're waiting on: the questions you asked that nobody answered.
- Replies in your own style need a paid plan on personal accounts, and most features start in the US and in English.
Questions people ask
Is Gmail's AI reply feature free?
Smart Reply and thread summaries are free for everyone. Suggested Replies and Help me write are free for personal accounts in the US; replies in your own style, the AI Inbox and more come with paid Google AI and Workspace plans.
Does Gmail's AI send emails for me?
No. Suggested replies and Help me write drafts go into your reply for you to edit, and nothing goes out until you press Send.
Why don't I see Suggested Replies in Gmail?
Smart features need to be on, your account language set to English, and your account eligible: a personal account in the US or a paid plan. Even then, Google says a suggested reply isn't always available.
Sources
What this guide says about other products and research comes from these sources, checked on the date above.