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How to get the Google Pixel 3’s exclusive Gmail Smart Compose feature on other devices [Root]
The Google Pixel 3 gets a ton of new software goodies that you’re probably itching to try for yourself. Features like Top Shot, Photobooth, Google Lens suggestions, Super Res Zoom, and Subject Tracking Autofocus in the Google Camera app won’t officially make their way to other devices, but that hasn’t stopped developers from trying to port the features. Some features that are timed-exclusives for the Pixel 3 include Night Sight, Playground AR stickers, Google Duplex, Call Screening, and Smart Compose in the Gmail app. Gmail’s Smart Compose feature is only new for Android as the feature is already available in the web client for desktop browsers. The feature rolled out for Pixel 3 owners a few days back, but Google says the feature will roll out to other mobile devices in 2019. It’s possible to skip the wait and enable Smart Compose on any rooted Android device right now. Here’s how.
Smart Compose in Gmail demonstration GIF. Source: Google.
Enable Smart Compose in Gmail
Note: I successfully tested this on my Google Pixel 2 XL and OnePlus 6 which have not yet received the feature. I can’t guarantee it’ll work on every device, but there doesn’t seem to be any checks on what device you’re using so it should work on any rooted device.
- Download MiXplorer, FX File Explorer, or any other root-enabled file browser. I’m personally using MiXplorer for this tutorial.
- Open the file explorer app and go to the “root” directory. In MiXplorer, you just open the sidebar on the left and tap on “root” underneath “internal storage.”
- Once prompted, grant the app root access.
- Navigate to
/data/data/com.google.android.gm/shared_prefs - Open
FlagPrefs.xml
- Look for the boolean value
smart_compose_paramand set the value totrue
- Save the file before exiting.
- (Optional): Sometimes, changes to shared preference files results in them being reset after a day or so. To prevent this from happening, long-press on
FlagPrefs.xml, open the menu, hit “Properties,” tap on the “>” arrow next to “Permissions,” and change the permissions to 551. You’re basically preventing this file from being written to, so be wary as this could prevent you from getting new test features in the future unless you undo this change. I am not sure if this step is needed as I haven’t had the feature reset on my Google Pixel 2 XL yet, but your mileage may vary.
- Force close the Gmail app by going to its App Info page and tapping “Force close.”
- Once you open up Gmail, enter any email thread and you should see a popup showing you how to use the Smart Compose feature in the Gmail app.
Smart Compose is only officially available for Pixel 3 owners composing emails in English, but the feature will gain support for Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese in a few months. It’ll also officially come to other Android devices in 2019. We’re not sure why the exclusivity on this feature is so long, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to experience the latest Gmail feature.
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