Work messages that land firm, not cold
Subtext checks a work message for tone before you send it. Paste the Slack message, the email or the follow-up you have rewritten four times, and it marks the words that read colder, sharper or more apologetic than you meant, and names the feeling underneath. Then it offers three versions that say the same thing firmly and warmly, in your own register, each flagged "safe to send" or "heads-up". It never sends anything for you.
On iPhone, Android and in your browser. Work messages are never used to train an AI model.
One real run of the app, on a work line made up for it: "Thanks for finally sending this over." Below is what it flagged and the versions it offered, unedited.
Thanks for finally sending this over.
Waiting on something is frustrating, so I get the "finally". Here are versions that keep the thanks without the sting.
- Close to yours (Calm, safe to send): Thanks for sending this over. Drops "finally" so the thanks reads as plain and sincere. Should land without any friction.
- Warmer thanks (Gratitude, safe to send): Thanks so much for sending this over, I really appreciate it. Adds genuine appreciation in place of the dig, so it reads friendly and generous.
- Honest and forward (Relief, safe to send): Thanks for sending this over. I'd been waiting on it, so I'm glad to have it now and can get moving on my side. Mentions the wait lightly and honestly, then moves forward, so it avoids blame while staying true to how you feel.
Want it shorter, warmer, or a bit more direct about the delay?
The two ways a work message goes wrong
Subtext catches both failure modes. Too soft: the second apology, the "no rush at all" that tells someone your request can wait forever, the self-deprecating opener. Too hard: the curt one-liner, the passive-aggressive "as I mentioned", the message that reads like a form letter. Each tag points at the exact words and explains what a reader is likely to take from them. The piece Is that email passive aggressive, or just short? has the research on how a short work message loses warmth in transit.
Firm is not the same as cold
Subtext keeps the line and puts the warmth back. Its versions state the request or the decision plainly, acknowledge the other person where that is honest, and stop there, with no hedging and no lecture. Written messages land noticeably more negatively than their senders intend, according to the research in our piece on emotional intelligence at work, and the job is to close that gap without sanding your voice off.
Slack, email, and the follow-up nobody wants to write
Subtext is built for messages between people, so it fits Slack, work email, feedback to a report, a chaser on an unpaid invoice, a no to extra scope. Screenshot the thread and it reads the whole exchange, so the reply answers what was actually asked. Tap shorter, warmer or add confidence to move a version, and it keeps any greeting and sign-off you wrote. Dealing with passive-aggressive people covers the reply side.
What it will not do
Subtext will not tell you what your colleague secretly thinks; it reads language, not minds. It defaults to short, plain and human, not memo format, and it keeps whatever greeting or sign-off you wrote. And it does not send anything. You copy the version you choose into Slack or your mail client yourself.
FAQ
Does it make everything casual?
It defaults to warm and plain, but it keeps the formality you wrote at and any greeting or sign-off you included. A formal email stays a formal email, without the frost.
Can I use it for messages to my manager?
Yes. Paste the draft or screenshot the thread. It marks what reads too soft or too sharp for that relationship and drafts versions that hold your position without apologising for having one.
Is my work message private?
It is read by the AI and stored so you can return to the conversation, never used to train an AI model, and deleted five days after you last used the conversation unless you pin it. The privacy policy names every provider.
Subtext works in 17+ languages and holds the level of formality you wrote at. 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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