How to Activate 'Help Me Write’ Feature in Gmail

Crafting the perfect email can often be time-consuming, especially when you need to get the tone just right. Gmail's "Help Me Write" feature is designed to make email drafting faster and more efficient. 

Powered by AI, it helps you generate contextually relevant drafts in seconds, allowing you to focus on the message instead of the wording.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through the process of activating and using "Help Me Write", exploring its key features, including generating drafts from simple prompts, refining tone, and personalizing responses. 

We’ll also explore how the integration of Google’s Gemini enhances the tool, allowing it to adapt to your writing style and improve accuracy.

Overview of the 'Help Me Write' Feature

Google’s ‘Help Me Write’ feature in Gmail uses AI to streamline email composition, making communication faster and more effective. Here’s what it offers:

• Generates email drafts: Input a brief prompt, such as "Follow up on our meeting," and the AI creates a structured, professional email.

• Refines drafts: Modifies tone and structure to achieve a formal, friendly, or persuasive style, enhancing clarity and readability.

• Tailored responses: Based on previous emails, AI generates relevant, context-aware replies, ensuring continuity in conversations.

• Saves time: Automates much of the writing process, allowing users to focus on key ideas rather than wording.

• Seamless experience: Unlike third-party tools, 'Help Me Write' is integrated directly within Gmail, providing a smooth, efficient writing process.

As of March 2025, ‘Help Me Write’ feature is now available in three additional languages: Italian, French, and German. 

This update makes the AI-powered writing tool even more valuable for non-English speakers, allowing users to draft and refine emails in their native languages.

[ Also Read: Should You Use AI for Writing Work Emails? ]

Now that we’ve covered what ‘Help Me Write’ can do, let’s move on to how you can enable this feature in Gmail.

How to Activate 'Help Me Write' in Gmail

Gmail's ‘Help Me Write’ feature is available to users with a Google Workspace plan or a Google One AI Premium subscription. To enable it: 

1. Access Google Workspace Labs

Visit Google Workspace Labs and sign in with your Google account to opt-in for experimental AI features.

2. Ensure Access

Ensure your Gmail account has access to the feature. The feature is available for users with Google Workspace Business or Enterprise plans and Google One AI Premium subscriptions. Pricing is as follows:

Availability may vary based on region, subscription type, or Google's phased rollout.

3. Enable in Gmail Settings

• Open Gmail and go to Settings (Gear Icon) > See All Settings. 

• Navigate to the AI Features section and enable ‘Help Me Write’. 

• Refresh Gmail, and the ‘Help Me Write’ button should appear in the email composer.

Using 'Help Me Write' for Drafting Emails

Once enabled, using ‘Help Me Write’ is simple and intuitive:

1. Open Gmail on your Android or iOS device.

2. Tap on “Compose”.

3. In the bottom right corner, tap on the “Help me write” option.

4. Enter your prompt, for example, “A formal invitation for an office get-together.” Include details such as the recipient’s name, timing, venue, and tone to create a more accurate draft.

5. Click “Create.”

6. The AI will generate the email, which you can edit or adjust as needed.

7. Once satisfied, click “Insert” to add the draft to your email.

To Revise the Draft:

1. Open Gmail and click on “Compose” to start your draft.

2. Click on the “Help me write” button and select an option from the menu: Formalize, Elaborate, Shorten, or I’m feeling lucky.

3. The text will be rephrased according to your preference. You can edit the generated text or create a new version.

4. Click “Replace” to insert the revised draft into your email.

Personalizing and Refining Emails with ‘Help Me Write’ in Gmail

Adapt Gmail's ‘Help Me Write’ to match your tone, style, and intent for more personalized communication.

1. Tailoring Settings

• Adjust Tone: Choose from professional, casual, persuasive, or friendly to suit your audience (e.g., formal for clients, relaxed for colleagues).

• Modify Structure: Opt for concise emails for quick updates or detailed formats for proposals and complex discussions.

• Use Keywords: Guide AI by adding specific phrases in your prompt, such as “Write a concise recap highlighting key takeaways,” instead of a generic request.

2. Enhancing Tone for Different Emails

• Formal Emails: Focus on clarity and professionalism. Example: “Keep it direct and authoritative.”

• Customer Service: Maintain a tone that is empathetic and solution-focused. Example: “Offer a clear solution with understanding.

• Personal Emails: Use a warm, conversational tone. Example: “Make it casual, upbeat, and friendly.”

To make ‘Help Me Write’ even more powerful, Google Gemini enhances its capabilities. Let’s look at how this integration improves the drafting process.

How Google Gemini Enhances ‘Help Me Write’

Google Gemini elevates ‘Help Me Write’ with smarter context understanding and advanced personalization, offering a more tailored and efficient email writing experience:

1. Smarter Context Awareness

Gemini analyzes entire email threads to generate relevant, context-aware responses. It detects tone, urgency, and key details from prior messages.
Example: Gemini auto-generates an update response with recent progress and next steps when a client requests an update.

2. Advanced Personalization

Gemini matches your writing style, refining suggestions based on past emails to ensure consistent tone and phrasing.
Example: If you prefer a friendly, professional tone, Gemini adapts to that rather than using generic language.

3. Tone Adjustments

Gemini offers natural tone adjustments, whether more formal, persuasive, or empathetic, making emails sound more personalized.
Example: If replying to a frustrated customer, Gemini softens the language and offers understanding with a solution.

4. Enhanced Drafting Capabilities

Gemini generates full, well-structured email drafts and provides multiple variations for flexibility.
Example: When declining a request, Gemini offers three response options: formal, polite but firm, and alternative solution.

5. Real-Time Refinement

Gemini dynamically refines content as you type, enhancing clarity and suggesting more effective phrasing.
Example: Gemini simplifies a long sentence without altering the meaning.

To illustrate how ‘Help Me Write’ works, let’s review some examples of its practical applications.

Top 10 Prompts for Using 'Help Me Write' in Gmail

Here are 10 practical prompts you can use with Gmail’s ‘Help Me Write’ feature to effortlessly generate professional, personal, and task-oriented email drafts.

1. Professional Email: Cover Letter

Prompt: "Write a short cover letter for a marketing position highlighting teamwork and creativity."

2. Customer Service Email: Refund Request

Prompt: "Request a refund for a defective product received last week."

3. Personal Email: Party Invitation

Prompt: "Write a fun and engaging invitation for a birthday party next Saturday."

4. Follow-up Email

Prompt: "Write a polite follow-up email after a job interview asking for next steps."

5. Client Response

Prompt: "Write a response to a client inquiry about a product's availability with estimated delivery time."

6. Meeting Request

Prompt: "Write an email requesting a meeting to discuss the new project timeline."

7. Apology Email

Prompt: "Write a sincere apology email for missing a scheduled meeting."

8. Thank You Email

Prompt: "Write a thank you email to a colleague for their help on a recent project."

9. Reminder Email

Prompt: "Write a reminder email for an upcoming team meeting with the agenda attached."

10. Holiday Greetings

Prompt: "Write a friendly holiday greeting email to your colleagues."

For those looking for an even more efficient solution, NewMail AI offers enhanced features for professional email writing. Here’s how it can help.

Effortlessly Write Professional Emails in Gmail with NewMail AI

While Gmail’s ‘Help Me Write’ feature offers powerful AI-assisted email drafting, it comes with some limitations, such as its unavailability in certain regions, pricing barriers, and limited customization options. 

These challenges can hinder users from fully utilizing the tool’s potential for seamless communication.

NewMail AI addresses these gaps by offering a more comprehensive solution for professional email writing. With NewMail AI, you get the flexibility of context-aware email automation and personalized drafts without the constraints that come with ‘Help Me Write’. 

Key Features:

• Personalized Drafts: NewMail AI crafts emails in your tone and style, requiring no prompts.

• Context-Aware Automation: Automatically detects when a response is needed and drafts timely replies, ensuring relevant communication.

• Seamless Email Management: From quick replies to follow-ups, NewMail AI drafts your emails so you can simply validate and press send.

• Professional and Polished Emails: Ensures all your emails are polished and professional, whether for clients, colleagues, or stakeholders.

• Effortless Productivity: Streamlines your email process, reducing manual effort while maintaining clear and concise communication.

Conclusion

AI-assisted email writing is enhancing productivity. This blog has covered how to install, activate, and optimize ‘Help Me Write’ in Gmail for better communication. 

With its seamless integration, time-saving capabilities, and customization options, this feature is a game-changer for personal and professional email writing.

NewMail AI, your executive AI assistant, can efficiently write context-aware emails for you. By drafting smart, time-saving replies, 

Start for free today