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Google Communications

How To Disable Gmail's Annoying New 'Smart Compose' Predictive Typing Feature (vortex.com) 108

Posted by EditorDavid from the plan-B-stop-using-Gmail dept.
"I've seen this 'Smart Compose' feature described publicly with a range of adjectives," writes Lauren Weinstein, "including intrusive, wonderful, invasive, creepy, accurate, loony, mistaken, helpful, misguided -- well, you get the point, opinions are all over the map...." My foundational complaint here isn't that Google deployed Smart Compose, but rather that they enabled it by default without providing users even basic related information, including the all important "How the hell do I turn this damned thing off?" -- the very question filling my inbox of late!

So here's how you turn it off. It's easy, IF you know how.
One anonymous reader has another solution. "I'm just using Gmail in HTML-only mode now. Its actually far more usable than their new crap and I'm quite fond of the older look anyway." You could also just stop using Gmail -- but Weinstein thinks it's easier to disable the "Smart Compose feature.

"With the understanding that Google has great AI and is itching to use it whenever and wherever possible, I don't really need it analyzing my email drafts as I type them. At least in my case, its proposed wordings are nearly always -- what's the technical term? -- oh yes, WRONG.

"And the predictions intrusively and continuously interrupt my flow of typing as each one needs to be individually bypassed."
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How To Disable Gmail's Annoying New 'Smart Compose' Predictive Typing Feature More

How To Disable Gmail's Annoying New 'Smart Compose' Predictive Typing Feature

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  • Time saver! (Score:4, Funny)

    by kqs ( 1038910 ) on Saturday October 06, 2018 @07:42PM (#57439354)

    I'm so glad that someone wrote an article telling me how to turn off smart compose. I was afraid that I'd have to type "how do I turn off smart compose" into my browser's bar, but this article has saved me all that effort.

    • The question is why aren't they writing about how it breaks accessibility? Tab is for navigating the UI without a mouse - not being held hostage by stupid features.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Except when you have the cursor in a textbox, then it's for inserting tabs. Web browsers suck for entering code because they break the tab key.

        Not even the usual overrides like ctrl-tab (change tab), shift-tab (tab backwards) or alt-tab (switch task on Windows) will override this. You end up having to copy/paste tabs from a proper text editor.

    • I see you're trying to turn off smart compose. Would you like some help with that?

    • Settings > General > Write Suggestions Off (Score:5, Informative)

      by hcs_$reboot ( 1536101 ) on Saturday October 06, 2018 @08:58PM (#57439564)
      tl;dr do: Settings > General > Write Suggestions Off > Save
      You would think that page criticizing Google would make it easy to find in this lengthy text how to switch that feature off...

      • You would think that page criticizing Google would make it easy to find in this lengthy text how to switch that feature off...

        As a general rule, people are more interested in winning arguments than in solving problems.

        Showing how easy it is to disable solves the problem, but weakens the argument.

        • people are more interested in winning arguments than in solving problems

          Or people just want to be listened to.

      • What's even more interesting is that I don't have that option. I'm not sure why or how.

        • Are you using a Google Apps for Education/Business account? The “smart” compose feature probably hasn’t been deployed to you.

          I noticed my work email, which is on Google Apps for Edu, does not have this - but my personal Gmail (which I generally avoid using) does.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by taustin ( 171655 )

            We've had it show up on the GSuite stuff at work, but still (so far) with the option to go back to the old view.

            On the other hand, when it showed up on my personal email, the first time, there was a little pop-up that asked if I wanted to turn it off. But I guess that's too complicated for some people.

      • Or even easier, just don't turn it on.

        A few weeks ago a message appeared asking if I wanted to turn it on. I declined. That's all.

        • A few weeks ago a message appeared asking if I wanted to turn it on. I declined. That's all.

          You seem to be a lucky person.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • Dude, not to burst your bubble, but consider this: if no one ever wrote an article telling you how to turn off smart compose, then typing it in the browser bar would return no results.
  • Just pay for your email and quit using free shit.

    • Re:Pay for your email (Score:4, Informative)

      by davide marney ( 231845 ) on Saturday October 06, 2018 @08:37PM (#57439502) Journal

      I pay for Goggle Apps and these annoying features are, indeed, enabled by default.

    • right, ofiice 365 at work is so much superior.

      bahahaha, the paid shit is even worse

    • If by "pay for your email" you mean "pay for a server to run it on". I'm not aware of paid mail service that's decent, Gmail went to the bottom of the barrel these days. So why won't you just do it yourself? exim works out of the box with no configuration needed beyond setting a valid hostname+reverse. Add dovecot if you prefer a GUI client (you obviously don't sound like a mutt person...), and there you go.

      Worlds easier than that paid shit you promote, where for a simple task you need to ask around eve

  • barely noticed it (Score:5, Interesting)

    by RhettLivingston ( 544140 ) on Saturday October 06, 2018 @08:14PM (#57439438) Journal

    I think this feature had been going for a couple of days before I noticed it. I guess I'm used to editors doing similar things. But, the implementation also seems to be remarkably non-obtrusive. Nothing seems to have slowed or changed other than I can occasionally tab through a suggestion if I happen to notice it in time. I'll be leaving it on and gradually start using it.

    What I find most surprising is that any of the suggestions are actually exactly what I intended to type. A lot of them are.

    Of course, we will likely see the required article about some shocking suggestion within days now. I'm surprised it isn't already out there. Someone will sit and spend a few hours working to trigger something so that they can feed someone's agenda with a new viral campaign.

    I did note that when typing an email discussing the reason for purchasing a new pair of running shorts that it guessed that I had gained weight and completed a sentence about that appropriately. Some might find that offensive :-)

    • Didn't notice it, at all. I use Outlook configured for my Gmail account. Google seems to think this is unsecure and doesn't like it but I know what I'm doing and chances are that anyone else doing the same is conscious enough of the security issues to make it secure, as I have. Not everyone has Outlook, true, but other email clients exist that will connect with Gmail's servers so that users can avoid the so-called "features" imposed upon the standard Gmail interface. And, oh hey, Alphabet? The day you "fo

    • I've found the Android / Google keyboard autosuggestions quite useful in a chat app I use. I suppose I tend to frequently use the same phrases there.

      • I suppose I tend to frequently use the same phrases there.

        Me too:

        No.
        Have you rebooted it?
        Really? The TV, or the box under it?
        CAPSLOCK IS JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE A key.
        Your printer probably IS out of paper/ink/toner.
        No.
        The FBI/CIA is NOT watching you type. You are NOT the 1,000 viewer today. Microsoft will NOT call you. Ever.
        No, I don't know what your passwords are. Try PASSWORD.
        Unless YOU are now installing a NEW software package, you do NOT need to install anything else. NOTHING. No Thing. Click Cancel.
        Do NOT disable the virus scanner.
        Yes,

        • "Have you rebooted it? â

          You're THAT guy. I see.

          Raymorris: Your router at 67.3.4.1 has a routing loop with the one at 67.18.9.4. Both are sending the traffic to each other, in a circle.

          Support: Let's reboot your computer.

          Raymorris: May I please speak to someone who is allowed to touch your equipment.

          My ISP's regional network manager gave me his cell.phone number after a couple of those calls.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by djinn6 ( 1868030 )

      I also don't get why people are afraid of it.

      In the worst case I just keep typing and the suggestion goes away. Otherwise it can save me a few seconds or in the best case remind me to add a few polite words so I don't come off as aloof or rude.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Alumoi ( 1321661 )

      What I find most surprising is that any of the suggestions are actually exactly what I intended to type. A lot of them are.

      You're not clearing cookies and cache when leaving pages, right? You're always signed in into Google, Facebook & the ilk?
      And it comes as a surprise if Google knows what you think?
      I'm shocked, I tell you.

  • Q: How to turn off Smart Compose (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    A: Go into settings and turn it off.

    Was that really worth a whole article?

    • Turning off not the point, the point was the very existence of this broken down crap by a company that hires and promotes the ideas of juvenile developers.

      Google needs to start letting users vet the random bad ideas of these juveniles before polluting products that are used in the adult world

  • It can't detect trivial finger place,emt typos such as in this sentence where the comma in placement should be an m and the m an n or that ;; in the ,iddle of a word should be ll

  • I've found that... (Score:4, Funny)

    by c-A-d ( 77980 ) on Saturday October 06, 2018 @08:34PM (#57439492)

    not using GMail has solved all my problems with GMail.

    • not using GMail has solved all my problems with GMail.

      Sure. How many other problems did that generate?

  • "nudges" for emails google *thinks* you should have responded to?

    "smart reply" to have buttons at the bottom of a reply with stupid things a 14 year old would say?

    seriously, with this plus browsing history on blank tab page the google developers should just off themselves, so google can hire adults.

  • Use a real MUA (Score:4, Insightful)

    by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Saturday October 06, 2018 @08:45PM (#57439532)

    Those do not suddenly get strange ideas. I use mutt.

    • 'mutt' is alive, still?! wow...

    • pine FTW.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by skids ( 119237 )

        Yeah, used to. Now use mutt because pine's license did something wonky and wasn't going to arsed to build my own package. Still don't check my private email enough to know more than a few keys and at this point have forgotten every pine key except whatever muscle memory brings back and I have to then figure out what the heck I just told mutt to do. Fuck email. I only use it at work now, or when required for account verifications on the stupider websites. Nobody is worth talking to who isn't on IRC anyw

  • With an ad company your content is the product.

  • I love this feature (Score:3)

    by Salo2112 ( 628590 ) on Saturday October 06, 2018 @09:22PM (#57439612)
    It saves me a lot of trouble when I am driving.

  • I have another complaint about Google's user interface.

    After finding "Smart Compose" in "Settings," I decided to check "Smart Reply." I used my browsers search function to find it. Why does Google (and other companies) put topics in a random order, instead of ordering topics alphabetically. The order may be logical to Google, but I have no idea what they are thinking, and it is a pain to find anything.

    • The random order likely arose from the underlying data-structure (a hash or dictionary likely) holding the items. Just that the engineer didn't think a sort is necessary before presentation.
      for item in foo_db: [instead of] for item in sorted(foo_db): [python snippet]

  • The predictive typing feature is IMO kind of amusing. I used the term "reach out" which I loathe, for the first time, because it suggested it.

    In reality, the new upgrades have degraded my experience. It takes a LOT longer to load. Sometimes freezes while typing in my password. Sometimes accepts my password then kicks me back to the login screen (I get these issues on the latest Firefox or Chrome).

    Ironically, the new Gmail works best on an older version of IE (11) which I guess doesn't support the feature bl

  • ... works well with Gmail accounts. Set up is simple, and then you have control, not just of the composition process, but of your address books. Google will nag you to drop T-bird, claiming security reasons, but their logic is specious and self-serving.

  • I find the predictive typing feature useful. You can just ignore it by not hitting Tab.

    Regarding HTML only Gmail, I used it for a while, and it is fast. The one thing that made me go back to the Javascript user interface is that it did not fill in contacts properly. It was very tedious, and that was a deal breaker for me ... so I am back to the Javascript UI.

  • Skype has the same auto suggestions that are just stupid. Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to turn them off.

    Are people really so unable to type 3 word answers without a special suggestion?

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