In an attempt to make it easier to respond to emails on the go, Google has introduced Smart Reply to Gmail for Android and iOS. I’m all about efficiency so I tried it for myself yesterday and I love it.

What Is It?

Essentially, when on your mobile device, Gmail reads your email and suggests three responses based on the text it detects. According to Google, Smart Reply uses machine learning to give you my tailored responses based on your writing style the more you use it.

How Do I Get It?

Smart Reply is already available on the latest version of the Gmail app on iOS and Android devices. Simply open the app, go to an email you haven’t responded to yet and it should be there. The response options appear in buttons above the standard Reply, Reply All and Forward icons making it incredibly easy to use. Once you select an option, the text automatically opens into a reply, which you can leave as is, or edit before hitting send. At the moment it is only available in English, but other languages will follow soon.

“The feature already drives 12 percent of replies in Inbox on mobile.” – Greg Bullock, Software Engineer at Gmail

It may seem like a small addition but it is by no means insignificant. In a world where time and attention are such valuable commodities, innovations like this are appreciated by its users.

Don’t take my word for it. Try it out yourself and let me know your thoughts on Twitter: @fantomdan

References and Additional Resources