Predictive text in Gmail: how Lightkey works in your inbox
Yes, Lightkey works in Gmail on your Windows PC. As you write an email in Chrome or Edge, Lightkey predicts your next words in grey right where you're typing. Press Tab to accept, or keep typing. It also suggests spelling corrections as you go.
How it works
Gmail runs in the browser, so you need two things: the Lightkey desktop app and the Lightkey extension for Chrome or Edge. Once both are installed, predictions appear wherever you write in Gmail: new emails, replies and forwards.
Lightkey's predictions come from your own writing, and they work the same way in Gmail, Outlook and virtually every other app on your PC.
What it helps you write in Gmail
Email is full of sentences you've written before. Lightkey learns them from your own writing, so after a short while it offers whole phrases such as:
“Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.”
“Please see the attached invoice.”
“Let me know what works for you.”
“Looking forward to hearing from you.”
Spelling suggestions appear above a misspelled word, so you can fix a typo before you hit Send.
Private by design
Lightkey's prediction engine runs on your own computer. What you type isn't sent to a cloud service to get a prediction, and Lightkey keeps working offline. Lightkey doesn't connect to your Google account.
Get started
Download Lightkey and start your free 30-day trial.
Install the Lightkey extension for Chrome or Edge if you also work in the browser.
Open Gmail and start typing. Press Tab to accept a prediction.
Lightkey works in more than 80 languages and in virtually every app on your Windows PC. See all supported apps.
Also read: predictive text in Outlook and Google Docs.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lightkey work in Gmail?
Yes, in Chrome and Edge on Windows, through the Lightkey extension, which works together with the Lightkey desktop app.
How is Lightkey different from Gmail's Smart Compose?
Smart Compose works only in Gmail. Lightkey learns from your own writing and works across virtually every app on your PC, including Outlook, Google Docs and Teams.
Does Lightkey read my emails?
Lightkey's prediction engine runs on your computer, so what you type isn't sent to a cloud service to get predictions. It doesn't connect to your Google account.
Does Lightkey work in other email apps?
Yes, including Outlook, Thunderbird and Proton Mail.
