Google Docs Live turns your car park ramble into a structured first draft on your phone
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
Google has started rolling out Docs Live on Android and iPhone. You talk, and Gemini builds a document, pulling in context from your email, chats and Drive.
The short version
- Docs Live is a new Gemini feature in the Google Docs mobile app that turns spoken conversation into a structured document.
- Google announced it on 21 October for Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, and Google AI Pro and Ultra.
- Use it to capture proposals and updates while ideas are fresh, then check the draft before anyone else sees it.
The best ideas tend to turn up in the car park after a meeting, when the laptop is in the boot. Google has decided your phone should be able to catch them.
What is Docs Live?
Docs Live is a hands-free Gemini feature in the Google Docs mobile app that builds a structured document while you talk. You can ramble, change your mind and circle back, and it turns that into something with headings and order.
Docs Live can also pull context from your Gmail, Google Chat and Drive files, plus the web. Google suggests project updates, proposals, customer pitches, event plans and talking points for presentations.
Who can use it, and when?
Docs Live is available now on Android and iOS for Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, and Google AI Pro and Ultra, plus some education and add-on plans. It's on by default for anyone who already has Gemini in Docs switched on, so admins don't need to do anything.
Google's tip is to be clear about the goal up front, such as a meeting summary or a project proposal from a recent call.
Should your business use it?
Your business should use Docs Live for first drafts that would otherwise never get written, like the proposal you meant to do after the site visit. Talking it through on the spot beats trying to remember it on Friday afternoon.
My take: because it reads your email and Drive, check what it pulled in before a draft goes to a client. A line from the wrong customer's thread is an awkward thing to explain.
It's a first draft, not a final one. You still get the last word, which is more than the car park usually gives you.
Wondering what this means for your business?
That's exactly what the discovery call is for.