Gmail’s new shortcut can let you refine drafts in an instant


Key Takeaways

  • Gmail’s ‘Help me write’ shortcut is finally making it to the web, Google said.
  • Google also announced a ‘Polish’ shortcut, which could be a new name for the previous ‘Refine my draft’ tool.
  • These generative AI-based features are limited to customers of the Google One AI Premium plan and those on Gemini business/enterprise and education add-ons.




While generative AI may have its downsides, one of the many positives to come out of it is making everyday tasks that much easier, like drafting coherent emails when the words just aren’t flowing in your mind. Gmail’s ‘Help me write’ feature is at the forefront of this, allowing users to either compose a well-drafted email or refine what they’ve already written with little to no effort. A couple of months ago, Gmail announced new shortcuts for Help me write and ‘Refine my draft’ on mobile. Now, the company is bringing the former to the web version of the email client along with another feature addition.

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Announcing the changes in its Workspace Updates Blog, Google said that besides expanding the Help me write shortcut to the web, there’s also a ‘Polish’ shortcut making it to the web and mobile devices. While this Polish shortcut may seem new based on Google’s phrasing, a closer look suggests this is essentially a new name for the previous Refine my draft feature, albeit with different functionalities.


Same feature but with a new name

Gmail’s Polish shortcut on the web and mobile

The Help me write shortcut on the web works just as it does on mobile, with Google saying it will be visible in the email body when you haven’t written anything yet. Meanwhile, the Polish shortcut, similar to the Refine my draft shortcut from August, will be visible when you’ve written 12+ words in the email body, Google says.


In its previous form, accessing the Refine my draft shortcut would allow users to choose between Polish, Formalize, Elaborate, Shorten, and Write a draft. But thanks to this new inclusion, getting your email draft refined is a much faster process. Web users can also use the Ctrl+H keyboard shortcut for Polish, while mobile users can simply swipe right to achieve the same result.

When you’ve triggered the Polish shortcut, you will see Google Gemini getting to work on refining the email. If you’re happy with the output, you can instantly add it to your draft using the Replace button on the bottom right of the window. Interestingly, the Polish menu on the web uses an Insert button instead of Replace, though we expect this inconsistency to be fixed in a future update.

Google says it could take up to a couple of weeks for the ‘Polish’ shortcut to appear on the web version of Gmail, but they should be live on the Android and iOS mobile apps already. These Gmail features are exclusively available to subscribers of the Google One AI Premium plan, as well as to those with the Gemini Business and Enterprise add-on or the Gemini Education and Education Premium add-on.


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