Everything You Need, Instantly Accessible
Find messages in Franz Mail, WhatsApp and Signal, filter unread email, switch services and workspaces, translate text, and dictate a question to Ask Franz.
You're getting ready for a client launch. Someone sent the pricing update by email, the team discussed the assets in WhatsApp, and there's another decision waiting in Signal. You remember the project name. The exact subject line, less so.
Magic Bar gives you a place to start inside Franz. Open it from the app, or use Command-J on macOS and Control-J on Windows and Linux. Search for a message, switch to a service, or choose one of the available actions. You don't have to learn the shortcuts first.
The examples below use fictional people, messages and an Acme client project. Each demo plays when you scroll to it, so you can see what happens between typing a query and choosing a result.
Find the reply without searching everywhere
Type q3 launch. Matching results appear as you type, with the sender, a preview and the service they came from. In this example, you'll find the pricing approval in Franz Mail and launch discussions in WhatsApp and Signal. Choose a result to open it.
You don't need the exact subject, but the words need to match something searchable. It's quite useful when you remember part of a conversation and can't remember where it happened.
Direct content search is available for supported sources such as Franz Mail, WhatsApp and Signal. What appears depends on your connected services and the content available to search. Adding a service to Franz doesn't automatically make all of its messages searchable.
Explore Magic BarNarrow the search without starting again
Keep q3 launch in the field and type /. The menu shows commands and filters you can choose, including Shopping, Newsletter, Calendar and Unread. You can also narrow a search by sender or date where the source supports it.
Choose Unread and it becomes a token in the input. Your search term stays next to it. The results now show unread emails about the launch, and you can remove the token when you're done with that filter.
Unread is an email filter here. It doesn't turn into an unread search across WhatsApp and Signal. Filters vary by source; a source that can't apply the selected filter won't add unfiltered results to the list.
Go to the right service and workspace
Sometimes you already know where you want to go. Type acme and you'll see the Instagram service named Acme and the Acme Workspace. They're separate results: one opens the client account, the other switches your workspace in Franz.
The same query also finds matching emails, WhatsApp and Signal messages, and Todos. A client name can be quite enough to get you back to the work. You don't need to decide on a result category before you search.
Service and workspace results come from what you've configured in Franz. Opening the Acme Instagram service doesn't mean Magic Bar can search its Instagram messages.
Translate the message before you copy it
Here's a short update for tomorrow's meeting: "Ich habe die Unterlagen geprüft. Die offenen Punkte können wir morgen im Termin klären."
Choose Translate in Magic Bar, then enter the text beside the Translate token. Set the target language and run the translation. In the demo, the German update becomes: "I've reviewed the documents. We can go through the open points in tomorrow's meeting."
Read it through before using Copy. You can adjust the source text or language pair and translate again. Nothing is sent to a conversation just because you've translated it.
Smart Translate is included with Pro and Max and runs on the model you've configured in Franz. For the best translation experience, we recommend Franz Cloud AI. Text sent to a cloud model is processed in the cloud, rather than entirely on your device, and Franz Cloud runs on European infrastructure.
Explore Smart TranslateDictate a question and ask Franz
When dictation is available and enabled on your device, you can use it in the Magic Bar field. The example asks: "What's still open for the q3 launch? Check the team discussions and emails."
Review the transcript and fix anything it misheard. Dictation enters text; it doesn't submit the question for you. Press Tab to switch to Ask Franz, then Enter to send. The input moves below the conversation, with your question carried into the answer flow.
You can follow the searches as Franz checks email, WhatsApp and Signal. In this fictional example, pricing approval and the final Instagram assets are still open. The answer includes sources you can open to check the details. It hasn't sent a message or changed the launch plan.
Franz Assistant uses the tools and connected sources available to your account, with the AI provider and plan you've configured. It doesn't automatically read every service in Franz, and an answer can miss something. Check the source messages before you rely on a date or tell a client you're ready.
You can still use the sidebar and open each service yourself. Magic Bar is there for the moments when you know what you're looking for and would rather start typing. It's one less context switch.
Compare Franz plans if you want Smart Translate and the Assistant workflows described here. Or start with the download and see how it feels with the services you already use.
Tame your tool stack.
One window. All your messaging. Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux.
- Magic Bar
- Messaging Productivity
- Context Switching
- Smart Translate
- Franz Assistant
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