Read the message you received before you reply
Subtext reads the message you received and tells you, in plain words, what the other person wants from you. Paste a screenshot of the thread or drop in the voice message they sent, and it summarises what they are saying and lists what actually needs an answer. Then it drafts a reply that picks up where they left off, in your voice, and you decide what to send. It never sends anything for you.
On iPhone, Android and in your browser. Screenshots and voice messages are never used to train an AI model.
One real run of the app, on a LinkedIn thread made up for it: asked "is this even worth replying to?", it said what the sender was after before writing anything. Below is the run, unedited.
Reply to... Daniel Whitford 1st degree connection Helping Agency Owners Get Their Evenings Back | Creator of FocusFriday Mar 3 Daniel Whitford: Thanks for connecting, Sam! Excited to learn more about you. Sam Rivera: Nice to meet you too. Sep 22 Daniel Whitford: Hey Sam, running a design studio that only takes projects you believe in takes real guts. It shows in your portfolio. Looking forward to hearing about your goals and challenges! Oct 2 Daniel Whitford: Hey Sam, just checking you saw my message, they often get buried here. Yesterday Daniel Whitford: 👋 Daniel Whitford: Looks like you're swamped, Sam. I'll check back in a few weeks, because you could get one evening a week back, right?
is this even worth replying to?
Honest take: this looks like an automated sales sequence. The flattery about your portfolio, the "just checking you saw this" bump, and the "you could get an evening back, right?" line are all standard outreach moves. Nothing in it is personal to you or asks you something real, so you don't owe him a reply. If evenings back isn't something you want right now, ignoring it is completely fine. If you'd like to close the loop, a short, kind no thanks stops the follow-ups.
Politely decline
Got it, here are two short ways to close the loop kindly and clearly.
- Short and clear (Calm, safe to send): Thanks for reaching out, Daniel. It's not something I'm looking into right now, so no need to check back. I wish you all the best with FocusFriday. This declines plainly, asks him not to follow up, and ends on a friendly note. It should land as courteous and final.
- Warmer, with context (Gracious, safe to send): Thanks for the kind words about the studio, Daniel, and for following up. You're right that it's a busy stretch, and I'm keeping my focus on current projects, so this isn't a fit for me right now. No need to check back in a few weeks. Good luck with everything you're building. This acknowledges his compliment and his follow-ups, gives a light reason, and clearly asks him not to return. It should read as warm yet final.
I added "no need to check back" so the follow-ups stop. Want it even shorter, or a bit more casual?
Reply to... I wish you all the best with FocusFriday.
I don't get that part
Fair question. FocusFriday is the product Daniel created, as his profile headline says ("Creator of FocusFriday"). I was just wishing him well on it. Since it's confusing, here are two versions without that line.
- Closing line swapped (Calm, safe to send): Thanks for reaching out, Daniel. It's not something I'm looking into right now, so no need to check back. I wish you all the best. Only the confusing product mention is removed. The decline and the request not to follow up stay as they were, so it still reads polite and final.
- Closing line dropped (Direct, safe to send): Thanks for reaching out, Daniel. It's not something I'm looking into right now, so no need to check back. It ends right after the clear, polite decline. It is a little brisker, but still courteous.
Want it a touch warmer or even shorter?
Write a polite no thanks
Write a polite no thanks
Here are two short ways to close the loop kindly and clearly.
- Short and clear (Calm, safe to send): Hi Daniel, thanks for reaching out. It's not something I'm looking into right now, so no need to check back. Wishing you all the best with FocusFriday. States the no plainly, asks him not to follow up, and ends with a good wish, so it should land without friction.
- Warmer, with reason (Appreciation, safe to send): Hi Daniel, thanks for the messages and the kind words about the studio. You're right that things are busy on my end, and this isn't something I'm looking to take on at the moment. Please don't plan on checking back, but I wish you every success with FocusFriday. Acknowledges his effort and uses his own "swamped" point as a gentle reason, while still closing the door clearly.
Want it even shorter, or a bit more casual? I can also make it more direct if he keeps following up.
I'm a bit curious
I'm a bit curious
Fair enough, a little curiosity is a good reason to reply. Before I draft something, a few quick questions so it says what you actually want.
- What are you hoping to find out from Daniel?
- How much do you want to commit right now?
- Anything you want to say or ask about your own situation, like being swamped, or what you'd want back from your time?
I'll just ignore it
I'll just ignore it
Totally reasonable. Nothing in his messages needs an answer, and he's already said he'll check back in a few weeks, so you can let it sit. If the follow-ups keep coming and start to annoy you, a one-line no thanks is always there. Just ask and I'll write it.
What a long message is actually asking for
Subtext turns a long message into a short summary written to you: one line on what they want, then up to five short points, such as the questions, decisions and deadlines that need your attention. A three-paragraph text from a friend, a manager's message with four questions buried in it, a voice note you would have to play twice: each comes back as a short list you can act on. The summary is written in the language the message arrived in. The piece What does this text mean? covers why reading a text is harder than it looks.
Does it work with screenshots and voice messages?
Yes. Subtext reads a chat screenshot the way you would, with your bubbles on one side and theirs on the other, so it can tell who said what. If it cannot, it asks. A voice message they sent you is transcribed and summarised the same way, so you can read it in a meeting instead of listening to it.
From reading it to replying
Once you know what they are asking, Subtext drafts the reply. If they want a decision from you that you have not given yet, it asks you first and drafts from your answer. The reply picks up the thread and answers their points instead of restating them, and you get up to three versions, one tap apart, to compare before you send the one that sounds like you. Tap warmer, shorter or add confidence to adjust any of them without writing a prompt. The piece on what makes a reply land well goes through the research, and the page AI that reads the conversation before you reply covers why the thread matters and where that stops.
Can it tell me if they are angry with me?
No, and no tool can know that for sure. Subtext reads the words on the screen, not what the sender privately feels, and it does not label the other person's message as hostile or manipulative. What it can do is show you what they asked for and what a calm reply looks like, which is often what the worry is really about. The piece Are they mad at me, or am I overthinking it? explains why the gap between words and feelings is so wide.
FAQ
Do I have to type the message out?
No. Paste a screenshot of the chat, or drop in the voice message they sent, and Subtext reads it from there.
Does the other person know I used it?
Not from Subtext. It never sends anything to them: you paste the reply into your own messaging app and send it from there.
What happens to the screenshot afterwards?
It goes to the AI provider that reads it, and to our servers so you can come back to the conversation. Nothing you upload is used to train an AI model. A conversation deletes itself five days after you last use it, or ninety days if you pin it. Delete it yourself and it is gone straight away, attachments included. The privacy policy names every provider.
Subtext works in 17+ languages and answers in the one the message arrived in. On your phone or in your browser.
Right where you need it
Subtext is built for your phone first. Your account works on the web once you have it.
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