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Google adds voice-based prompting to Docs and Keep

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Why This Matters

Google's introduction of voice-based prompting across Workspace apps like Docs, Keep, and Gmail marks a significant step toward more natural and efficient user interactions. By enabling voice commands for drafting, note-taking, and email searches, Google enhances productivity and accessibility, reflecting a broader industry trend of integrating AI-driven voice features into everyday tools.

Key Takeaways

At the Google I/O developer conference, Google announced it’s bringing a voice-based prompting feature to Workspace apps such as Docs, Keep, and Gmail. These features can help you create drafts, take notes, and search for emails.

In Docs, you can create a draft document using your voice. For instance, in a demo shown by TechCrunch, Google showed that a user can fetch resume details from Drive, add event logistics from an email on top of the document, and even include some humorous anecdotes.

Image Credits:Google

Previously, users would have to type all this out, and it’s possible that, while typing, they might write short sentences and then various follow-ups, resulting in a multi-turn conversation that took time. Google’s idea is that with voice, you can use long sentences or ask for multiple tasks in one go. Plus, the feature understands when you change your mind and ask for a detail to be changed in the same conversation turn.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that in the future, users will be able to create and edit documents using their voice.

Image Credits:Google

What’s more, Google is adding a way to use your voice to dump your thoughts into Keep, and the app will use AI to turn that transcription into a structured note or a list. Note-taking apps like Voicenote.com and AudioPen added this kind of feature a few years ago. Lately, dictation apps such as Wispr Flow, Monolouge, and Aqua voice have built this functionality into their voice-based typing products.

Earlier this month, Google released its own dictation product called Rambler, which is built into Gboard and works across apps.

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Besides Docs and Keep, the company is adding voice-based functionality to Gmail. With the new feature, users will be able to converse with Gemini and ask for details like their next flight, code to their Airbnb booking, or time for the physician appointment.

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