Google brings voice control to Gmail, Docs, and Keep with new AI assistants
Three new "Live" modes let you search your inbox, draft documents, and add shopping-list items just by talking. Here is who can use them today.
Key points
- Google began rolling out Gmail Live, Docs Live, and Keep Live to mobile users globally in English on the day of announcement.
- Gmail Live lets users search their inbox by speaking plain questions, such as asking about a child's next school event.
- Docs Live and Keep Live require a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription; Gmail Live also works on the cheaper AI Plus plan.
- Keep Live is Android only; Docs Live and Gmail Live are available on both iOS and Android.
- Business customers on Google Workspace are listed as "coming soon" with no firm date given.
Google's apps are getting ears. The company is rolling out three voice assistant modes called Gmail Live, Docs Live, and Keep Live, letting you control Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Keep (the note-taking app) entirely by speaking.
They're a hands-free layer built on Gemini, Google's AI assistant, designed for moments when your hands are full or you're on the move.
What can these voice modes actually do?
Each tool handles a different task. Gmail Live searches your inbox. Docs Live shapes documents. Keep Live captures notes.
Gmail Live is probably the most useful for everyday life. Instead of hunting through crowded email threads, you ask a plain question out loud, such as "when is my kid's next school event?", and the assistant pulls the answer from your inbox and reads it back. Links to the original emails appear on screen so you can verify what it found. You can ask follow-up questions without restarting, and cut the assistant off mid-sentence if you need to change direction.
Docs Live takes verbal instructions and turns them into structured documents. Describe a project out loud, ask it to shape that into a business proposal. If you grant permission, it can pull in material from your Gmail and Drive history, plus the web, to fill in details.
Keep Live is the simplest of the three. Talk naturally and it transcribes your words into a note, understanding context without needing precise commands. Saying "add ingredients for pesto to my shopping list" is enough.
Who can use them, and when?
Access depends on your Google subscription plan. Gmail Live lands on AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra plans today on both iOS and Android. Docs Live and Keep Live need at least an AI Pro plan, but Keep Live is Android only for now, while Docs Live works on both platforms.
| Feature | Platforms | Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail Live | iOS and Android | AI Plus, Pro, Ultra |
| Docs Live | iOS and Android | AI Pro, Ultra |
| Keep Live | Android only | AI Pro, Ultra |
| Workspace (business) | All | Coming soon |
Google previewed all three at its Google I/O developer event in May. Business customers using Google Workspace, the paid suite aimed at companies, are told to expect access "coming soon", though Google hasn't named a specific date. The rollout covers English speakers globally from today.
This sits alongside other recent expansions to Google's mobile AI work: we first covered the Keep tag on 3 September 2026, when Google's Pics tool brought AI image editing into Docs and Slides.
Should you hand your inbox over to an AI?
Granting any AI assistant access to your email and documents is a personal choice worth pausing on. Google says Docs Live only pulls from Gmail and Drive if you explicitly give permission, so the access is opt-in, not automatic.
For most people the practical question is cost. These features sit behind paid plans, so free Gmail users won't see them. If you're already on a paid Google AI plan, check the Gemini section inside the Gmail or Docs mobile apps to find the new Live options.
The thing worth watching here isn't the voice control itself, it's the permission model. Once you let an AI read your inbox to answer one question, the boundary of what feels reasonable tends to shift quickly. Keep an eye on exactly what you're granting access to, and when.
Common questions
Does Gmail Live read my emails aloud to other people nearby?
No. It reads a summarised answer back through your phone speaker or headphones, just as a voice assistant would. You control when it speaks.
Is Keep Live available on iPhone?
Not yet. Keep Live is Android only at launch. Google hasn't announced an iOS release date for Keep Live specifically, though Docs Live and Gmail Live do support iOS.
Do these features cost extra on top of a Google AI plan?
No separate charge applies. If your existing plan covers the feature (Pro or Ultra for Docs and Keep; Plus or Pro for Gmail), access is included.
