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Google releases "Live" versions of Docs, Gmail, and Keep with voice capabilities

Gmail Live will find the answers to your queries inside your Gmail inbox.

By Alan Friedman

Published: Sep 08, 2026, 12:20 AM

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Google adds voice capabilities to Gmail, Docs, and Keep.

Google introduces Gmail Live, Docs Live, and Keep Live | Image by Google

Today, Google announced that it has added new capabilities for its Gmail, Docs, and Keep apps. The new versions of these apps add a Gemini voice module and the word "Live" as a suffix. So with Gmail Live you can use conversational search to find out information you need very quickly.

Gmail Live will browse your inbox

For example, instead of conducting a manual search to find out which gate number your flight is going to be at when it departs tomorrow, you can ask, "What’s my flight's gate number?" or "What’s going on at my kid’s school this week?" and Gmail Live will scan your inbox and quickly respond with the answers. Gmail Live is available with Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra on Android and iOS in English globally.

Docs Live allows you to create a draft using your voice. Important details can be pulled from Gmail, Drive, Chat, and the web. Just talk and you can even turn a stream of consciousness into detailed pages by using the data from Gmail, Docs, and Keep Live to turn your random thoughts into content that is focused and makes sense.

Use your voice to get more done in Gmail, Docs, and Keep Google Workspace

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Docs Live adds an "Open with voice" button

When you ask Docs Live to add information to the app and format it accordingly, you'll press the new FAB button (floating action button) to open the new "Open with voice" feature. Google Keep is an app that is used to make lists and that makes it perfect for Keep Live. If you're walking around and a million-dollar idea comes to mind, you can have Keep hold on to this brainstorm in the app. If you use the app for the shopping list, you could save time by saying, "add the ingredients for my world-famous stuffed potato to the shopping list."

To access Docs Live, you need a subscription to Google AI Pro or Ultra, or a Google Workspace Business or Enterprise account. It is also available as a limited preview for free Google accounts in the US.

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Keep Live will add information to both new and existing notes

Here's something interesting. Not only are you able to use Keep Live for new notes, you can also add information to existing ones. Keep Live is available on Android and requires AI Plus (updated), Pro, and Ultra.

Gmail, Keep, and Docs are handy apps on their own, and adding "Live" capabilities to the trio makes them even better.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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