How to Activate 'Help Me Write’ Feature in Gmail

The average employee drafts about 112 emails per week, spending over 5.5 minutes per email. This totals nearly 11 hours a week spent on email drafting alone. 

For busy professionals like CEOs, sales executives, and managers, this time drain affects productivity, with the added challenge of maintaining the right tone and clarity in emails.

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.

For example, if you're writing an email to a colleague to follow up on a meeting, you can use "Help Me Write" to generate a polite and professional draft quickly. Instead of spending time figuring out the right phrasing, the tool handles it for you, allowing you to focus on the content itself. 

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

TL;DR 

• "Help Me Write" in Gmail helps users draft, refine, and personalize emails quickly, powered by Gemini AI.

• Key benefits include time-saving, context-aware responses and seamless integration within Gmail, without the need for additional apps.

• To activate "Help Me Write" in Gmail, simply click the button, enter your prompt, and customize the draft by refining the tone, shortening it, or elaborating.

• For businesses needing more than just email drafting, NewMail AI offers a more comprehensive solution with task management, calendar integration, and enhanced email organization.

What is the ‘Help Me Write Feature’?

The "Help Me Write" feature in Gmail is an AI-powered tool that helps users draft and refine email content. This feature uses Google's Gemini AI to generate, enhance, or personalize email drafts based on user prompts. 

Launched in May 2023, the AI-powered writing assistant was designed to enhance writing efficiency by providing context-aware text suggestions based on user prompts and webpage content.

Users can prompt the AI to create email content or improve existing drafts with various customization options like refine, shorten, formal, etc. 

This feature adapts to your needs, whether you're drafting casual messages or formal business communications. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone looking to streamline their email management.

Note: As of March 2025, the "Help Me Write" feature is available in additional languages like Italian, French, and German, making it more accessible for global businesses and non-English speakers to draft and refine emails in other languages.

Next, let’s move on to how you can enable this feature in Gmail.

How to Activate Help Me Write in Gmail and Draft Emails Efficiently

Using Gemini to create a new draft in Gmail is simple, and it can save you time when you need to compose an email quickly. Here’s how to do it:

1. On Desktop

1. Open Gmail on your computer.

2. On the left-hand side of the screen, click the Compose button to start a new email. You can also reply directly to an email thread.

3. At the bottom left of the compose window, you’ll see the Help me write button. Click on it to get started.

4. Next, enter a prompt describing the email you’d like to write. For example:

   • “A request for advice from a mentor about career growth”

   • “An invitation for a casual meet-up with colleagues”

   • “Ask my friend for restaurant recommendations in Toronto”

5. Once you've typed your prompt, click Create, and Gemini will generate a draft for you.

After generating the draft, you’ll have a few options to refine it further:

• Recreate: If you’re not happy with the first draft, click "Recreate" to generate a new version based on your original prompt. Keep in mind that once you create a new version, you can't revert to the previous one.

• Refine: If the draft looks good but needs some minor revisions, click Refine to adjust the wording and flow.

• Formalize: If you want the email to sound more professional, click Formalize to adjust the tone and make it more polished.

• Elaborate: To add more details to your message, click Elaborate to expand the content.

• Shorten: Need to make your email more concise? Click Shorten to reduce the length of the draft.

Once you’re satisfied with the draft, click Insert to add it directly to your email.

After the draft is inserted into your email, you can continue to refine it. You can polish the message, recreate it with a new approach, or elaborate or shorten it. The flexibility is yours to make those final adjustments.

This way, with just a few clicks, you can create a polished email draft, saving you time and effort.

2. On Android

Writing a New Draft:

1. Open the Gmail app on your Android phone or tablet.

2. Tap Compose in the bottom-right corner of the screen. You can also reply to an existing email thread.

3. At the top right of the compose window, tap Help me write.

4. Enter your prompt. 

5. Tap Create to generate your draft.

   • If you want to generate a new version, tap Recreate.

6. Edit the generated text by tapping on it and making any changes.

7. Once you're satisfied with the draft, tap Insert to add it to your email.

Refining a Draft:

1. Open the Gmail app and tap Compose or reply to an existing email, or open a draft.

2. Write an initial draft or open an existing draft.

3. Tap Help me write at the top right of the compose window.

4. Choose one of the following options:

   • Polish

   • Formalize

   • Elaborate

   • Shorten

5. If you want to generate another draft, tap Recreate. 

6. Edit the draft by tapping the generated text and making your desired changes.

7. To accept the changes and use the new draft, tap Replace.

3. On IPhone and IPad

Writing a New Draft:

1. Open the Gmail app on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Tap Compose in the bottom-right corner. You can also reply to an existing email thread.

3. At the top right of the compose window, tap Help me write.

4. Enter your prompt.

5. Tap Create to generate your draft.

   • If you want to generate another draft, tap Recreate. 

6. Edit the generated text by tapping on it and making any changes.

7. Once you’re happy with the draft, tap Insert to add it to your email.

Refining a Draft:

1. Open the Gmail app and tap Compose or reply to an existing email, or open a draft.

2. Write an initial draft or open an existing draft.

3. Tap Help me write at the top right of the compose window.

4. Choose from these options to refine your draft:

   • Polish

   • Formalize

   • Elaborate

   • Shorten

5. If you want to generate a new draft, tap Recreate. 

6. Edit the draft by tapping the generated text and making the desired changes.

7. To accept the refined draft, tap Replace.

Also Read: Write Emails Faster: 15+ Proven Tactics to Boost Productivity

Key Benefits of the 'Help Me Write' Feature

Google’s "Help Me Write" feature in Gmail, powered by Gemini AI, simplifies email composition for busy professionals.

Here’s how it benefits CEOs, managers, sales executives, marketing professionals, and anyone who wants to use this:

• Context-aware responses: Sales executives can reply to client inquiries more efficiently, as the tool analyzes previous messages in email threads, generating replies that are relevant and maintain the conversation flow.

For example, responding to a client’s inquiry about a proposal with context-aware, personalized details.

• Time-saving: Managers and CEOs often spend considerable time drafting emails and reports. By automating much of the writing process, "Help Me Write" frees up time, allowing focus on high-priority tasks. 

A manager can draft a quick reply to a project update request without starting from scratch.

• Smooth integration: Marketing professionals can streamline their workflow with "Help Me Write," which is built directly into Gmail, removing the need for third-party apps and ensuring a smooth and efficient writing experience.

• Enhanced clarity: Executives and managers can ensure that their communications, whether formal proposals or brief updates, are clear and professional, as the feature recommends concise, easy-to-understand language. 

 For instance, a CEO might use it to simplify a complex strategic memo, making it more concise and easier to understand.

• Wider audience reach: Sales teams and executives can fine-tune their email tone based on the recipient. "Help Me Write" adjusts its suggestions, helping users craft the right tone, such as casual for frequent customers or formal for new prospects.

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

Looking to enhance your email productivity? 

While Help Me Write makes drafting easier, NewMail AI helps you stay organized by managing your inbox, tasks, and calendar in one place.

Start For Free Now

Now that you understand what the Help Me Write feature is, let’s take a look at who can benefit from this feature. 

Who Can Use the 'Help Me Write' Feature in Gmail?

Google's "Help Me Write" feature in Gmail is designed to help professionals across various roles by streamlining email composition. 

Here's how different professionals can benefit:

• Sales Professionals: Sales teams often engage in high volumes of email communication, requiring quick responses and personalized outreach.

• Marketing Teams: Marketing professionals can use this feature to draft campaign emails, newsletters, and promotional content efficiently. 

• Customer Support Agents: Customer support teams can benefit from "Help Me Write" by drafting responses to common inquiries, ensuring timely and consistent communication with customers.

• Human Resources: HR professionals can use the feature to draft standardized emails for recruitment, onboarding, and internal communications, streamlining their workflow.

  
  

• Executives and Managers: For executives and managers, "Help Me Write" can assist in drafting formal communications, reports, and internal memos, saving time and ensuring clarity in messaging.

Once you’re familiar with how to activate 'Help Me Write' in Gmail, you may run into a few common issues. Here’s what to do if you can’t access the feature.

What to Do If You’re Having Trouble Accessing the ‘Help Me Write’ Feature

If you're having trouble using the "Help Me Write" feature in Gmail, here are a few steps you can take:

• Unable to select the button? Try again later. Sometimes, the feature might not be available temporarily, but it should work after a short while.

• Issues with prompts or generating drafts? Reload your browser if you're on a computer or close and reopen the Gmail app on your phone (Android or iOS).

• Not working in the Gmail app? Make sure your device's language is set to US English. You can change your language settings in your device preferences.

These steps should help resolve the most common issues, allowing you to get back to composing your emails. 

Next, let’s explore the limitations of this feature to help you manage expectations.

Limitations of The "Help Me Write" Feature

While Google's "Help Me Write" is a helpful tool, it’s important to be aware of its limitations, particularly in fast-paced sales, marketing, and executive roles. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Not a replacement for human judgment: As a sales manager, you may rely on Help Me Write to draft follow-up emails to leads quickly, but the tool cannot fully grasp the nuances of human interaction. 

For example, while it can generate a basic draft, it won’t be able to capture the subtleties of a personalized message tailored to a specific client’s needs.

• Inconsistent tone: For a marketing executive, maintaining a consistent brand voice is critical. However, AI-generated drafts might sometimes sound too formal or too casual for your audience. 

For instance, an email meant for a high-level executive might come off too informal, or a casual internal message might sound overly stiff.

• Bias amplification: As a CEO, you want your communications to be neutral and inclusive. Since AI models are trained on large datasets, there is a risk of unintentional bias in the content. 

This could result in drafts that, for example, reflect gender or cultural stereotypes, or contain language that doesn’t align with your company’s values.

These limitations are important to consider, but with human oversight, Help Me Write can still speed up email drafting for busy executives and teams.

While Google Help Me Write is helpful, its limitations can be frustrating. If you need a more reliable and comprehensive solution, NewMail AI is a better choice. It goes beyond just drafting emails, offering task management and calendar integration to help you stay organized and productive with less effort. 

Try NewMail AI today to experience a more streamlined, efficient way to manage your emails, tasks, and calendar. 

Also Read: How to Use AI for Automating Daily Tasks 

Is Help Me Write the right fit for your business? Let’s walk through a few key questions to help you decide.

Is Google Help Me Write Right for Your Business? Key Questions to Ask

Adopting new technology often raises questions, and AI writing assistants are no exception. While Google Help Me Write offers compelling benefits, determining if it’s the right fit for your business requires thoughtful consideration beyond just its capabilities.

Here are key questions to ask yourself and your team:

1. What are our current communication pain points?

As a business leader, you know how time-consuming routine email drafting can be.

• Is your sales team or management staff spending too much time crafting responses or proposals? 

• Is consistency in external communication a challenge?

• Are team members struggling with writer’s block or need to quickly formalize ideas?

Identifying specific pain points helps clarify if Help Me Write offers a tangible solution.

2. What is our existing Google Workspace adoption level?

   • Are your teams already heavily invested in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides?

   • The more integrated your current workflow is with Google Workspace, the more seamless Help Me Write will be. 

If your teams are already familiar with Google tools, incorporating Help Me Write will further streamline their workflows, making email drafting and document creation quicker and more efficient.

3. How sensitive is the data we handle?

As a decision-maker, you are likely handling sensitive data (such as customer information or financial data). Therefore, ensuring that AI-generated content complies with security regulations (like GDPR or HIPAA) is key. 

• Do you regularly process highly confidential or regulated information (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, financial data)?

• Are there internal policies that restrict the use of AI with certain types of data?

Google's privacy policies ensure data isn’t used for public model training, but it’s crucial to evaluate them for your specific needs.

4. Are we prepared for human oversight and fact-checking?

As a manager, ensuring the accuracy and tone of your communications is essential. 

• Do your workflows include mandatory review stages for all important communications?

• Every piece of AI-generated content requires human verification for accuracy, tone, and factual correctness. Is your team trained and willing to perform this critical step?

5. How will we train our team on the responsible use of AI?

As you adopt AI tools, it's crucial to educate your team on their ethical implications and how to use them responsibly. 

• Beyond “how-to,” how will you educate employees on the ethical implications, potential biases, and responsible use of AI tools?

• Establishing clear internal guidelines is vital to prevent misuse or unintended consequences.

For decision-makers like CEOs, sales executives, and management professionals, it’s important to assess if the tool can streamline communication and align with your business goals. 

By addressing these questions, your business can decide if Google Help Me Write meets your needs, security requirements, and AI strategy.

If you’re still on the fence, you might want to consider going a step further. Here’s why NewMail AI could be a better option for your business.

Going a Step Further: Why Consider NewMail AI?

While Google Help Me Write is useful for generating email drafts, NewMail AI enhances your entire productivity workflow, from email drafting to task management and calendar integration. 

Here’s a table breaking down the key offerings of Google Help Me Write and NewMail AI to help you decide which solution best fits your needs.

For businesses looking to streamline email management and boost productivity, NewMail AI offers a more comprehensive solution that does more than drafting emails. 

Conclusion

Activating "Help Me Write" in Gmail offers a significant boost to your email productivity, making the process of drafting and refining messages much quicker and more efficient. 

It simplifies the writing process and ensures that your emails are professional and well-crafted, whether you're responding to quick inquiries or composing more formal messages. 

However, if your needs extend beyond email drafting, like task management or calendar syncing, Help Me Write may not fully meet those requirements. 

NewMail AI helps you stay organized, manage tasks, and maintain control over your inbox, all while smoothly integrating with your existing tools. 

Start for free today to learn how NewMail AI can enhance your email and productivity management, making your workday more efficient and organized with just a few clicks.