Google Docs adding Smart Compose, currently in G Suite beta

Last year, Google introduced Smart Compose to help you write entire emails while maintaining your voice. The feature is now expanding from Gmail to Google Docs as part of a beta program.

This functionality dates back to Smart Reply for quick responses to messages and emails. Smart Compose takes this a step further by autocompleting longer replies as you type. This includes finishing sentences and autofilling useful information like addresses.

It cuts down on having to manually type out long, repetitive phrases, while learning your colloquialisms and writing style over time to sound more natural. First introduced on the web, it was a Pixel 3 exclusive before rolling out to all on Android and iOS.

Smart Compose is now in beta testing for Google Docs, as discovered by The Verge. While the feature in Gmail helps “draft emails faster,” in Docs it helps you write “documents more quickly.”

Smart Compose in Docs helps save you time by cutting back on repetitive writing, while reducing the chance of spelling and grammatical errors. It can even suggest relevant contextual phrases. For now, this functionality will only be available in English.

In Gmail on the web, suggestions appear in faded text after your cursor. Hitting “tab” on your keyboard will populate the machine learning-crafted sentences. On mobile, you can swipe right to accept hints. To disable Smart Compose, visit Tools > Preferences and toggle “Show Smart Compose Suggestions”.

This beta is only available for G Suite customers on the web (despite the mobile demo above) and requires an administrator sign-up for the program. It’s unclear whether Google Docs Smart Compose will later roll out to free consumer accounts. Existing grammar correction tools are currently limited to paying G Suite accounts, and serve as a competitive advantage against other office offerings. Google is angling AI and machine learning as helping boost end-user productivity.