Gmail ‘Quick Reply’ redesign rolls out on Android [U]

Abner Li | Aug 27 2024 - 10:52 am PT

After testing in recent months, Gmail is making official a “Quick Reply” redesign for conversations on Android.

Update 8/27: Gmail’s Quick Reply redesign is now widely rolled out for personal Google Accounts and Workspace Individual Subscribers except for those enrolled in Workspace Labs. Testers will get access to this at a later date.

We know this new option is best for quick, lightweight responses, so for longer, more formal responses, you can simply expand the text box to access more formatting options.

Meanwhile, it’s rolling out to other Workspace customers now with full availability in the coming weeks. Google will bring this redesign to Gmail for iOS “later this year.”

Old vs. new

Original 5/30: Today, you get large pill-shaped buttons for Reply, Reply all, and Forward, as well as emoji reactions, by scrolling to the bottom of a message.

“Quick Reply” — as it’s officially called — docks a text field to the bottom of your screen. It appears above Gmail’s persistent bottom bar, with no further scrolling required.

You can quickly attach a file at the left, while the menu options are Reply, Forward, and Change recipients. Forward and emoji round out the compact bar.

Tapping the text field lets you start typing immediately “without opening a new screen.” You can access the same fullscreen UI from the expand icon. This new layout lets you reference the contents of a message when typing for a chat-style experience. Google says this is “ideal for emails that just need a simple answer.”

For longer responses, expand the text box for more options.

The Gmail Quick Reply redesign was announced this morning alongside Android updates to Google Messages and Home. It is starting to roll out on an account-by-account basis. You might have it on one Gmail address, but not any others.

This server-side update is happening on Gmail 2024.05.05.x for Android.