Shortwave

About Shortwave

Shortwave is an email client built on top of Gmail that adds a layer of AI-powered features to standard inbox management. Rather than replacing a user's Gmail account, it connects directly to it and surfaces tools like AI-generated email summaries, smart search, and suggested or drafted replies. The interface reorganizes the Gmail experience around speed and clarity, grouping related messages into threads and surfacing what needs attention. Users can ask questions about their inbox in plain language, and the AI will locate relevant emails or synthesize information from across multiple messages. The primary use cases center on reducing time spent reading and responding to email. Shortwave's AI summaries condense long threads into a few sentences, which is useful for catching up on conversations without reading every message. The search function goes beyond keyword matching, allowing users to describe what they are looking for in natural language. Reply drafting lets the AI generate a response based on the context of a thread, which the user can then edit and send. These features are particularly relevant for professionals who deal with high email volume, including founders, executives, and knowledge workers who live in their inbox throughout the day. Shortwave is aimed at individual Gmail users and small teams rather than large enterprises, though it does offer team-oriented features like shared inboxes and internal comments on email threads, which resemble a lightweight help desk or collaborative inbox. The product operates on a freemium model, with a free tier available for individual users that includes core AI features, and paid plans that unlock higher usage limits and team functionality. Pricing is subscription-based and billed per user. Because Shortwave requires a Gmail or Google Workspace account to function, it is not an option for users on other email providers.

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