The grey text Gmail suggests as you type is Smart Compose, and you turn it off on a computer in Settings > See all settings > General by choosing Writing suggestions off. The Gmail apps for Android and iPhone also have a Smart Compose switch, and Smart Reply (the short reply buttons under some messages) is a separate setting.
Google calls these “writing suggestions” in the settings screen and “Smart Compose” everywhere else, so both names point to the same feature.
Turn off Smart Compose on a computer
This works in Gmail in any desktop browser. Check that the account picture at the top right is the account you want to change, because Google treats Smart Compose as a Google Account setting: the choice follows the account, not the browser.
The screenshots in this section come from an older Gmail layout, so the current screens look different.
- Open Gmail in your browser and go to your inbox.
- Click the Settings gear at the top right, then click See all settings. The gear opens a quick settings panel first; the full settings page only opens from that button.
- Stay on the General tab and scroll down to Smart Compose.
- Select Writing suggestions off.
- Scroll to the bottom of the General tab. If a Save Changes button is shown, click it so the new choice sticks.
To check the result, open a new message and type the start of a common phrase such as “Thank you for”. If Smart Compose is off, no grey text appears after your cursor. Google’s Smart Compose help page lists the same path and notes that Smart Compose is on by default.
Switch off personalized suggestions too
Right below the Smart Compose row sits Smart Compose personalization. When it is on, Google tailors the suggestions to the way you normally write. Google says only you see those personalized suggestions; other users, including administrators of a work or school account, cannot see them. With personalization off, Smart Compose (if it is still on) shows generic suggestions instead.
If you only want fewer suggestions that sound like you, set Personalization off and leave Smart Compose on. If you want no suggestions at all, the Smart Compose switch above is the one that matters; personalization has no visible effect once writing suggestions are off. Google notes that personalization can only be changed from a computer, so you won’t find it in the phone apps.
Turn off Smart Compose in the Gmail app
Because Google applies Smart Compose changes on every device where the account is signed in, turning it off on a computer should carry over to the app. If you only use your phone, or the app still shows suggestions, change it there directly.
Android
- Open the Gmail app and tap Menu (the three lines) at the top left.
- Tap Settings, then tap the account you want to change.
- Turn off Smart Compose.
Each account in the app has its own settings screen, so repeat this for every Gmail account you’ve added. When Smart Compose is on, you accept a suggestion on Android by swiping across the grey text.
iPhone and iPad
- Open the Gmail app and tap Menu at the top left.
- Tap Settings.
- Under Compose and Reply, turn off Smart compose.
Google’s steps for iPhone and iPad don’t include picking an account first, so look for the switch on the main Settings screen. If it isn’t there, update the Gmail app from the App Store and check again.
Smart Reply is a separate setting
Smart Reply is the set of short, ready-made answers that appears at the bottom of some received emails. Turning off Smart Compose leaves these in place. On a computer, the Smart Reply row is also on the General tab of See all settings; pick the option that turns it off and click Save Changes at the bottom. Google’s Smart Reply help page documents the steps for turning it on, so the “off” wording on your screen may differ slightly.
In the apps, Smart Reply has its own control: on Android it’s the Smart Reply in email checkbox in the account’s settings, and on iPhone and iPad it’s under Writing Assistance > Smart reply. Gmail’s Gemini “Suggested Replies” are a different feature again and are not part of Smart Reply.
The smart features switch turns off more than Smart Compose
Further down the General tab is Smart features, with a checkbox labeled Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet. Google says Smart Compose only works while smart features are turned on, so an unchecked box here is one reason the suggestions might be missing on one account and present on another.
Unchecking it is a much bigger change. Google lists what stops working: automatic inbox categories (Primary, Social, Promotions), Smart Compose, Smart Reply in email, and summary cards such as package tracking. Google also says the change applies across all devices and apps where you’re signed in. Only use it if you want all of those gone; for grey writing suggestions alone, the Smart Compose switch is enough. Details are on Google’s smart features page, which also explains that the separate Google Workspace smart features setting doesn’t change this one.
Gemini’s Help me write is not Smart Compose
Some Gmail accounts show a Gemini option called Help me write, which drafts a whole email from a prompt you type. It is a different feature from Smart Compose, and the switches above are not documented as turning it off. Google’s help pages describe how to use it but don’t describe an off switch in Gmail settings.
If the grey suggestions keep appearing
- Wrong account. The setting is per Google Account, so change it for each account you use.
- App not updated. Google suggests updating the Gmail app if a settings change you made doesn’t seem to reach it.
- It’s the phone keyboard, not Gmail. Word suggestions above the iPhone keyboard come from the keyboard itself. You can turn off predictive text on iPhone separately.
- It’s Word, not Gmail. Microsoft Word has a similar grey-text feature; this one is handled by turning off text predictions in Word.
Turn Smart Compose back on
Repeat the same steps and choose Writing suggestions on (computer) or turn the Smart Compose switch back on (apps). If the option is missing, check that the smart features box is checked and that you write in a supported language: Google lists English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese for Smart Compose. On a computer, press Tab to accept a suggestion; keep typing to ignore it.
Smart Compose questions
Do I lose anything by turning it off?
Only the inline suggestions. Your emails, drafts, inbox categories and Smart Reply are not affected unless you also change those settings.
Is there a faster way to write repeated emails without Smart Compose?
Saved replies work well for that, because they insert a whole prepared message instead of finishing one sentence. See how to turn on canned responses in Gmail.
You can also switch Gmail to a more compact view to fit more messages on screen, or change the default reply behavior in Gmail.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.