Android 17 finally fixed my biggest problem with smart replies

Android 17 is becoming one of my favorite Android updates in recent years. The changes Google is making, while small, address some of my long-standing gripes.

A change like this has made Smart Reply a feature I want to use rather than a feature I try to avoid at all costs.

As a refresher, Smart Replies are suggested responses that you’ll see in your notification shade when you receive a message. Google added Smart Replies to our phones in Android 10, so I’ve been avoiding them like the plague for about seven years.

What is the problem? Smart replies are sent as soon as you tap. Thus, 99% of my interactions with the feature since 2019 have gone something like this:

1. Try tapping a notification to open it.
2. Accidentally tap on Smart Reply that says the opposite of what I want.
3. Panic.
4. Open the app.
5. Hopefully edit the message before someone else sees it.
6. Go to relax and have a wee Satsuma.

I know I’m being overly dramatic, but you get the point – sending the suggested response immediately doesn’t save time like it should. Anyway, not if you’re a chubby guy like me.

Thankfully, Android 17 has changed this behavior. As you can see in the screenshot above, tapping Smart Reply in beta 3 inputs a recommended response into the reply field, allowing you to delete, modify, or send the message. Again, this is a small change in the grand scheme of things, but it’s enough for me to start using a feature that was useless to me before.

Another reason I didn’t bother using smart replies is that they were too general or only said half of what I wanted. Now I can tap on one and make changes, a feature that will save me time by using the suggestion as the beginning of the message and adding whatever I want to say at the end. It’s a very small change, but at the same time I’m very happy with it.

Are you pleased with the changes Google made to Smart Replies in Android 17? Or did you prefer the way things worked before? Please let us know in the comments below.