Smart Reply is a Gmail feature that suggests a few short responses at the bottom of a received email, such as "Sounds good" or "Thanks for the update," which you can tap to start a reply. Google describes it as a way to respond quickly with short, suggested messages. The term is also used generically for any one-tap suggested response in messaging apps.
How Smart Reply works in Gmail
Gmail uses machine learning to read the message you received and offer brief replies that fit it. Tapping one drops the text into a reply, where you can edit it or send it. The suggestions are short on purpose: acknowledgments, yes or no, a quick thanks. Smart Reply can be turned on or off in Gmail's settings.
Smart Reply vs. Smart Compose
Gmail has two similarly named features. Smart Reply suggests complete short responses before you start typing. Smart Compose suggests the rest of a sentence while you type, which you accept with the Tab key or a swipe. Both are separate settings.
Smart Reply vs. AI drafting
Smart Reply works from the one message in front of it and returns a sentence or two. AI drafting tools write a full reply and can pull in context from outside that message: earlier emails, a file, your calendar. "Sounds good, see you then" is Smart Reply territory. "Here's the signed SOW, and Tuesday at 2 or Thursday at 10 work for me" needs a drafting tool that can find the SOW and check the calendar.
Synced sits on the drafting side. It writes the full reply with the file and times included, and waits for your approval before sending.
- Gmail Help: Reply to messages in Gmail (checked 2026-09-13)
- Gmail Help: Use Smart Compose (checked 2026-09-13)