This New Feature Will Help You Get Better Response From Gemini
To maximize the usefulness of AI chatbots, you need to use the right prompts. Although AI chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT have an edit button (usually a pencil icon), it changes the original prompt. Thanks to a recent update, Gemini now allows you to use hints to change the selected part of the answer produced by Google’s next-gen AI tool.
How to change selected text in Gemini
Here you are not changing the prompt, but the Gemini response. This way, you can continue to change selected parts of the answers, making them shorter or longer, or regenerate them completely. For now, this only works for English chats on desktop using the Gemini web app. Let’s see how it works by following these steps:
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Open Gemini in a web browser and enter a prompt to generate a response.
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In the answer, highlight or select any part of the answer that you want to change.
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Click the pencil icon (with a star) next to the selection. In the additional menu there are four options to change the selection and thus change the answer. They speak for themselves:
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Regenerate
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Briefly speaking
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longer
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Delete
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More importantly, you can enter another prompt into the text field, which can change the context of the selected part and regenerate it with a different answer. The text field allows you to change the answer in your own words. For example, Gemini displays a generic email in response to your initial request. You can highlight part of the text and use another hint to make it more specific.
These steps work on a word, a sentence, or the entire answer. Gemini already had a feature that let you change the entire answer, but this built-in method gives you more control, allowing you to change part of the answer, expand or shorten it, or delete it entirely. The added hint text field can help you add more context to a section and help Gemini generate more valuable answers.
For example, I tried it out with a prompt for developing a customized training plan.
Can you create a workout plan for me for five days a week that includes 15 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training? Include exercises for all parts of the body.
I then changed the cardio time to 20 minutes, changing the answer.
You can retrieve any part of the answer, and Gemini will offer a variety of exercise and workout options. If you don’t like the new answer, just click Cancel .
Google also displays a “Draft modified by user” message before the response. Note that if you see an Edit Selected Text icon next to your selection, you can change it. Google says that some answers and parts of answers cannot be changed. You may receive an error message if Gemini is unable to understand the prompt. Google also describes other errors in its support article .
Get the most out of drafts and the Edit Answer feature.
You can of course use this feature in conjunction with the still useful Edit and Drafts response filters.
The “Edit Answer Filter ” button is located just below the answer and allows you to make the entire answer shorter , longer , simpler , more casual or more professional . For example, consider the environment. The “Shorter” option is better suited for social media posts, while the “More Professional” option is suitable for an internal note.
The Show Drafts feature gives you three alternative versions of the answer with different phrasing and tone. You can compare these three options and see which answer best suits your needs. For example, changing the tone is useful when you’re writing an important email and want it to sound right. You can then further customize the responses in any of the drafts or versions by selecting the part of the text you want to change.