Tired of switching between email and Slack? You may want to try Redkix

Email is hardly the only work-related tool many people use every day. There is likely an instant messaging service, like Skype or Slack, along with a handful of job-specific apps and programs. Redkix is the latest communication tool vying for your attention — but instead of trying to kill off email, it is merging it with instant messaging.

“Redkix is team messaging powered by email,” Oudi Antebi, co-founder and CEO of Redkix, told Digital Trends. “So we take the best of modern messaging and collaboration and the best of email, and we bring them together in a very unique way to build something from a completely new point of view.”

At a quick glance, it is easy to mistake it for Slack — that is how similar it looks when compared to the popular messaging service. But Redkix’s killer feature is its ability to have 100 percent participation from email users because you don’t need to use Redkix to message someone on the service.

On Redkix, you can have a dedicated channel for a team, as well as direct messages with individuals. If all parties are using the Redkix app, the service is akin to most modern day instant messaging systems. You can send attachments, GIFs, create memes, add reactions to messages, create threaded conversations, and more.

So what happens when you need to message someone who does not use Redkix? Add their email address. The message you type and send offers the same instant messaging experience. The person on email not using Redkix will receive an email with the message from the Redkix user — it looks exactly like a normal email, and the Redkix user can even choose to add an email signature.

You may be thinking about all the emails you will get bombarded with when someone sends multiple messages at the same time — fret not. Redkix has an adaptive algorithm that learns the way users type, so if you send multiple messages at once, the email user will only get one email with the entire conversation a few seconds after you send the last message. It is not as instant as instant messaging but in our demo, we received emails within a minute or two after they were sent. Emails also come as replies to one email chain, so you don’t need to worry about getting multiple emails.

It can get a little hectic on channels with a large number of team members, which is why it may be simpler to just join Redkix. Still, it’s a great way to message people not on the service without needing to leave the messaging app and go to your email.

What is more is you technically never need to leave the service because you can connect your email inbox to the app. It offers the same features your email does, whether you use Gmail, Exchange, or Outlook. If someone is responding to your email, you can even see a typing indicator like in instant messaging services.

Redkix has been available in a private beta since July 2016, but it is now available as a public beta along with an iOS, Windows, and MacOS app. The Android app is still in private beta, and a web version is on the way. The service follows a similar pricing model to Slack — there is a free version but you have to pay to see message history. The Teams premium version starts at $6 per user per month.