Avec launches Tinder-style email app for iOS to fix inbox

Managing a cluttered inbox on a smartphone is often a tedious experience, but a new iOS application called Avec is looking to change that by introducing a swipe-based interface inspired by dating apps. The platform aims to move users toward inbox zero through a card-based system combined with AI-driven voice replies.

A New Approach to Email Triage

Avec processes emails as a “stack” of cards. The core navigation relies on simple gestures:

• Swipe Right: Archives or completes the email.
• Swipe Left: Moves the message to a “later” pile.
• Swipe Down: Marks the message as unimportant.

The app learns from the “unimportant” pile, eventually grouping those messages together so users can clear them in bulk rather than handling each one individually.

AI-Powered Voice Replies

Beyond navigation, Avec integrates voice-to-text functionality to speed up communication. Users can hold a button while speaking, and the app generates a draft based on the dictation. Unlike third-party keyboard extensions used by other AI writing tools, Avec maintains full context of the email thread, allowing the software to better understand tone, specific names, and personal communication styles.

Founder Vision and Market Context

The app was created by Jonathan Unikowski, a former product engineer at Replit. Unikowski notes that email as a medium has remained largely unchanged for roughly 25 years, with the emergence of Gmail representing the last major shift. He believes that combining thoughtful design with AI can significantly improve user efficiency.

Explaining the choice to prioritize mobile over desktop, Unikowski noted that the physical constraints of a phone—a smaller screen and the lack of a traditional keyboard—force developers to be more creative. “If you’re going to convince someone to install a new app, it needs to be really good,” he said.

Availability and Funding

Avec is currently available in the U.S. as a free tool for Gmail users, with plans to add Outlook support in the future. While the company is exploring potential premium tiers, details regarding paid features remain under development.

To date, the startup has secured $8.4 million in funding. Key investors include Lightspeed and Haystack, with additional participation from industry figures such as Replit CEO Amjad Masad, Replit’s head of AI Michele Catasta, Behance co-founder Scott Belsky, and Lenny Rachitsky.