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    4 min read 6 stepsMay 11, 2026Verified May 2026

    How to Use Gmail's "Help Me Write" AI to Draft Emails Faster

    Gmail has a built-in AI button called "Help Me Write." Type a few words about what you need and it drafts the full email. Here is how to use it.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Communication
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    4 min read
    Steps
    6
    Topics covered
    gmail
    google
    ai
    gemini
    email
    help me write
    writing
    assistant

    In this guide (6 steps):

    1. 1.Open Gmail and start a new email
    2. 2.Find the Help Me Write button
    3. 3.Type a short description of what you need
    4. 4.Read the draft and decide what to keep
    5. 5.Refine it using the Recreate, Formalize, or Shorten options
    6. 6.Add the recipient and subject, then send
    1

    Open Gmail and start a new email

    ~18s
    On your computer, go to gmail.com and click the Compose button in the upper left. On your phone, open the Gmail app and tap the pencil icon at the bottom right. A new email window will open. You do not need to type anything yet — go straight to the compose screen.
    2

    Find the Help Me Write button

    ~34s
    In the compose window, look for a pencil icon with a small star or sparkle symbol on it — this is the "Help Me Write" button. On the web it appears in the bottom row of the compose window near the formatting buttons. On the phone app, it appears at the top of the keyboard area when you are in the message body field. Tap or click it.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: If you do not see the button, make sure your Gmail app is updated to the latest version. Open the App Store or Google Play, search for Gmail, and tap Update if one is available.

    3

    Type a short description of what you need

    ~27s
    A small box will open with the prompt "Describe what you'd like to write." Type a plain English description of your email. A few words or one sentence is enough. Examples: "Ask my doctor to send me a refill reminder for my blood pressure medication." "Politely ask my neighbor to stop parking in my spot." "Thank my nephew for the birthday gift he sent me." "Request a refund for a delayed order from Amazon." Tap "Create" when done.
    4

    Read the draft and decide what to keep

    ~34s
    The AI will produce a full email draft in the compose window. Read it through. It may be slightly more formal than you would normally write — that is intentional. If a sentence does not sound right, tap in the draft and change it the same way you would edit any text. You can delete whole paragraphs, add more detail, or change the greeting.

    Warning

    Always read the full draft before sending. The AI is helpful but not perfect. Check that the facts are correct — if you mentioned a specific order number or date, make sure the AI did not make one up.

    5

    Refine it using the Recreate, Formalize, or Shorten options

    ~20s
    After the draft appears, look for small option buttons below it: "Recreate" (try again from scratch), "Formalize" (make it more professional), "Shorten" (make it briefer), and "Elaborate" (make it longer and more detailed). Tap the one that fits. If none of them are quite right, tap "Recreate" and try a slightly more specific description.
    6

    Add the recipient and subject, then send

    ~29s
    Once you are happy with the body text, fill in the To field (the recipient's email address) and the Subject line if one was not already there. Double-check the recipient — it is possible to accidentally send to the wrong person. Then click or tap Send.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: You can also use "Help Me Write" to improve something you already typed. Start writing the email yourself, then tap the Help Me Write button. It will offer to polish what you have written rather than starting from scratch.

    You Did It!

    You've finished reading: How to Use Gmail's "Help Me Write" AI to Draft Emails Faster

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    Gmail now has a built-in AI writing assistant called "Help Me Write," powered by Google Gemini. When you are composing an email, you can describe what you want to say in a few words, and the AI drafts the entire message for you. You can then read it over, edit anything you want, and send it.

    This is especially useful if you find writing emails stressful, do not know how to start, or need to write something formal (like a complaint letter, a request to a doctor's office, or a note to a school). You describe the situation, the AI writes a professional draft, and you make any changes.

    "Help Me Write" is available to anyone with a Google account at no extra cost. It works in Gmail on the web (gmail.com) and in the Gmail app on iPhone and Android.

    (Source: Gmail Help — Use AI to write emails, support.google.com/mail)

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