Google is finally rolling out its machine driven smart compose feature to messages, WhatsApp and Telegram, this comes after about two years since it was first unveiled and used exclusively on Gmail, G-suite and on some Pixel devices. While the feature expanded later to other Google owned platforms such as Google docs, we never thought plans were underway to support third party applications.
Gboard is the default keyboard app on many android devices and is credited for being lightweight and well equipped for normal typing expectations. Even though Google’s version remains the best android keyboard you can get, some mobile phone manufacturers such as Samsung slap a skin on top of their devices with their own version of keyboard. HTC for example was keen to maintain SwiftKey on their devices, but for anyone who has had the Gboard experience, they’ll probably uninstall if possible or switch their preferred keyboard back to Google’s Gboard.
Smart reply feature has been with us for quite sometime now, running on popular Google apps such as Gmail and Messages including the abandoned Inbox and Allo apps. The feature presents users with a machine generated response that considers things like last conversation and so forth. If offers a quick way to respond to a conversation rather than having to type everything a fresh.
Before android 10 was unveiled, smart reply was available to third party apps through an API but it didn’t quite match the capabilities we now get with Smart Compose. It basically predicts appropriate words as you type a conversation that can dynamically change with each additional phrase. Smart Compose also enables users to modify a message instead of sending it directly.
Smart Compose is supported by common android applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram in addition to Android Messages. Considering the feature is built into the Gboard keyboard rather than applications themselves, it’ll only make sense to see it slowly crop into other messaging apps. The feature is currently rolling out to a select group of android users, so it may take a while before it drops on your device.