Rumours are flying that Google is on the edge of releasing a major update to the web version of Gmail - one of Google's most widely used products, boasting at least a billion users.

In a statement, Google did not confirm specific changes but did acknowledge that it's working on an update to its email service. "We're working on some major updates to Gmail (they're still in draft phase). We need a bit more time to compose ourselves, so can't share anything yet - archive this for now, and we'll let you know when it's time to hit send," the company said in a statement.

Additions may include a "snooze" feature and automatically generated "smart reply" suggestions already available in Google's mobile email apps, according to a report from Android Authority. The new Gmail will also reportedly look more like the Gmail mobile app.

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The report says some people who pay for Google's suite of services, called GSuite, received messages asking if they wanted to participate in a program to preview upcoming changes - including a Gmail redesign.