Google launches Contextual Smart Replies feature for Gmail: How does it work

Google is currently rolling out a new feature for Gmail — Contextual Smart Replies. It is an enhanced feature that suggests personalised, context-aware responses based on the content of the emails you’re replying to. Unlike the generic Smart Replies, launched in 2017, this feature uses advanced AI to better understand the conversation’s context and tone, offering more relevant and tailored responses. Available for both Android and iOS, it aims to make replying faster and more efficient by adapting suggestions to the specific nuances of your email exchanges.
According to the reports, the feature is rolling out this month for Gmail users, but is currently limited to subscribers of Google One AI Premium or certain enterprise and education tiers. Let’s take a look at how it will work.
Contextual Smart Replies in Gmail works by using Google’s Gemini AI to analyse the content and context of an entire email thread. It goes beyond basic message recognition by understanding the conversation’s tone, intent, and specific details. For that, as soon as an email hits your inbox, the feature uses AI to scan the information such as requests, inquiries, or sentiments. It processes this context to suggest more meaningful replies.
Based on the analysis, it offers three reply options. Each response has a unique tone or action, such as asking for more details, confirming participation, or declining an offer. These responses are more tailored than the brief Smart Replies and include a greeting, body, and closing.
Users can preview these suggestions, each of which summarizes the type of response (e.g., “Request more info” or “Confirm sign-up”), and then edit or send them as needed.
Lastly, it is noteworthy how these two features are different. Contextual Smart Replies and the original Smart Replies both aim to streamline email responses, but they differ in terms of complexity and functionality.
Smart Replies offers short, pre-written, one-line suggestions like “Thanks!” or “I’ll check and get back to you,” based on the content of the email. The feature doesn’t analyse the entire conversation deeply but provides general, quick responses to speed up communication. The feature is ideal for short or straightforward email interactions where only a brief acknowledgement or simple answer is needed.
And the new Contextual Smart Replies is designed as an advanced version of basic Smart Replies. Powered by Google’s Gemini AI, this new feature analyses the entire conversation in-depth and offers more nuanced and context-aware responses. It generates three fully crafted email responses, each with a distinct tone or action (e.g., asking for more information, confirming details, or declining). These suggestions include greetings, body content, and sign-offs, and users can preview and edit them before sending. Tailored to more involved conversations, the feature helps users save time with more comprehensive replies.
In essence, Contextual Smart Replies is a more advanced version, providing deeper context and longer responses, whereas Smart Replies focuses on brevity and speed.