If you hate writing endless emails there’s good news coming from Google. The US technology giant is about to release a major update that will make sending messages much faster and easier. The change, which is coming to Gmail on the web, offers a new ‘Polish’ shortcut which basically tidies up your messages and refines things ready to be sent.
This update, which is part of the ‘Help me write’ service, has been available on mobile devices for a while but it’s now coming to messages sent via web browsers and desktops as well.
So how does it work?
When you write a draft email the ‘Polish’ shortcut will pop up on the screen. You can then tap this to see if Google can improve what you have already written.
In Google’s example, a user has written a draft that simply says, “Tony mentioned you. Still working on project lumina? Would love to sync. In town for lunch next week if available.”
Once ‘Polish’ is pressed, AI does its work and transforms the words into something a little more professional.
“Hi Roger, I heard from Tony that you’re still working working on Project Lumina,” the message reads.
“I’d love to catch up and hear how it’s going. Would you be available for lunch next week while I’m in town?
“Let me know if you are free.”
This rewrite happens in a flash and there’s even the ability to rate the suggested text so Google knows if it’s done a good job or not.
“In August, we announced Help me write and Refine my draft shortcuts on mobile devices. Today, we’re excited to expand the Help me write shortcut to web and introduce a Polish shortcut on web and mobile that helps you refine emails even faster.”
This feature will be ON by default and cannot be disabled by the user. It’s started rolling out now and should appear in inboxes within the next few weeks.
This update from Google is just one of many AI features coming to devices soon. Apple recently confirmed that its Apple Intelligence update is also coming to iPhone, iPads and the Mac very soon with this platform also offering ways to improve emails and check for errors.
It can also make unique emojis, edit photos automatically and sort your inbox so the most important messages head to the top.
Apple Intelligence should arrive in the UK before the end of the year.
