diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.css b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.css
index 2cf90ae3..b5df52bf 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.css
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.css
@@ -612,19 +612,179 @@
   font: inherit;
 }
 
-.gmail-compose-card textarea {
+.gmail-compose-toolbar {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 2px;
+  flex: 1;
+  min-width: 0;
+  justify-content: center;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-link-popover {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 6px;
+  padding: 8px 12px;
+  border-top: 1px solid var(--gm-border);
+  background: var(--gm-bg-input);
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-link-popover input {
+  flex: 1;
+  min-width: 0;
+  height: 28px;
+  padding: 0 8px;
+  border: 1px solid var(--gm-border-strong);
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  background: var(--gm-bg-card);
+  color: var(--gm-text);
+  font: inherit;
+  font-size: 12px;
+  outline: none;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-link-popover input:focus {
+  border-color: var(--gm-accent);
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-link-popover button {
+  height: 26px;
+  padding: 0 10px;
+  border: 1px solid var(--gm-border-strong);
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  background: var(--gm-bg-pill);
+  color: var(--gm-text);
+  font: inherit;
+  font-size: 12px;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-link-popover button:hover {
+  background: var(--gm-bg-pill-hover);
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-link-popover-apply {
+  background: var(--gm-accent) !important;
+  border-color: var(--gm-accent) !important;
+  color: var(--gm-accent-fg) !important;
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-link-popover-apply:hover {
+  background: var(--gm-accent-hover) !important;
+  border-color: var(--gm-accent-hover) !important;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-tool {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  width: 26px;
+  height: 26px;
+  border: none;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  background: transparent;
+  color: var(--gm-text-muted);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition: background 120ms ease, color 120ms ease;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-tool:hover {
+  background: var(--gm-bg-pill-hover);
+  color: var(--gm-text);
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-tool.is-active {
+  background: var(--gm-bg-pill-hover);
+  color: var(--gm-accent);
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-tool-sep {
+  display: inline-block;
+  width: 1px;
+  height: 18px;
+  margin: 0 6px;
+  background: var(--gm-border-strong);
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-editor {
   display: block;
   width: 100%;
-  min-height: 120px;
-  border: none;
+  max-height: 360px;
+  overflow-y: auto;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content {
   outline: none;
-  resize: none;
+  min-height: 120px;
   padding: 12px;
   background: transparent;
   color: var(--gm-text);
   font: 13px/1.55 inherit;
 }
 
+.gmail-compose-content p {
+  margin: 0;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content p + p,
+.gmail-compose-content p + ul,
+.gmail-compose-content p + ol,
+.gmail-compose-content p + blockquote {
+  margin-top: 8px;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content ul,
+.gmail-compose-content ol {
+  margin: 0;
+  padding-left: 22px;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content ul {
+  list-style: disc;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content ol {
+  list-style: decimal;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content li {
+  margin: 2px 0;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content li > p {
+  margin: 0;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content blockquote {
+  margin: 4px 0;
+  padding-left: 12px;
+  border-left: 2px solid var(--gm-border-strong);
+  color: var(--gm-text-muted);
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content a {
+  color: var(--gm-accent);
+  text-decoration: underline;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content code {
+  padding: 1px 4px;
+  border-radius: 3px;
+  background: var(--gm-bg-pill-hover);
+  font-family: ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Consolas, monospace;
+  font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.gmail-compose-content p.is-editor-empty:first-child::before {
+  content: attr(data-placeholder);
+  color: var(--gm-placeholder);
+  float: left;
+  height: 0;
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
 .gmail-compose-actions {
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/email-view.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/email-view.tsx
index 7d607ce2..7f92012e 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/email-view.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/email-view.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
-import { Forward, LoaderIcon, RefreshCw, Reply, Search, Send } from 'lucide-react'
+import { Bold, Forward, Italic, Link as LinkIcon, List, ListOrdered, LoaderIcon, Quote, RefreshCw, Reply, Search, Send, Strikethrough } from 'lucide-react'
+import { useEditor, EditorContent, type Editor } from '@tiptap/react'
+import StarterKit from '@tiptap/starter-kit'
+import Link from '@tiptap/extension-link'
+import Placeholder from '@tiptap/extension-placeholder'
 import type { blocks } from '@x/shared'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { toast } from '@/lib/toast'
@@ -283,6 +287,105 @@ async function mapWithConcurrency<T, R>(
 
 type ComposeMode = 'reply' | 'forward'
 
+function ComposeToolbarButton({
+  editor,
+  command,
+  isActive,
+  label,
+  children,
+}: {
+  editor: Editor
+  command: () => void
+  isActive: boolean
+  label: string
+  children: React.ReactNode
+}) {
+  return (
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      className={cn('gmail-compose-tool', isActive && 'is-active')}
+      onMouseDown={(event) => event.preventDefault()}
+      onClick={() => {
+        command()
+        editor.chain().focus().run()
+      }}
+      aria-label={label}
+      aria-pressed={isActive}
+      title={label}
+    >
+      {children}
+    </button>
+  )
+}
+
+function ComposeToolbar({ editor, onOpenLink }: { editor: Editor; onOpenLink: () => void }) {
+  return (
+    <div className="gmail-compose-toolbar">
+      <ComposeToolbarButton
+        editor={editor}
+        command={() => editor.chain().focus().toggleBold().run()}
+        isActive={editor.isActive('bold')}
+        label="Bold"
+      >
+        <Bold size={14} />
+      </ComposeToolbarButton>
+      <ComposeToolbarButton
+        editor={editor}
+        command={() => editor.chain().focus().toggleItalic().run()}
+        isActive={editor.isActive('italic')}
+        label="Italic"
+      >
+        <Italic size={14} />
+      </ComposeToolbarButton>
+      <ComposeToolbarButton
+        editor={editor}
+        command={() => editor.chain().focus().toggleStrike().run()}
+        isActive={editor.isActive('strike')}
+        label="Strikethrough"
+      >
+        <Strikethrough size={14} />
+      </ComposeToolbarButton>
+      <span className="gmail-compose-tool-sep" />
+      <ComposeToolbarButton
+        editor={editor}
+        command={() => editor.chain().focus().toggleBulletList().run()}
+        isActive={editor.isActive('bulletList')}
+        label="Bulleted list"
+      >
+        <List size={14} />
+      </ComposeToolbarButton>
+      <ComposeToolbarButton
+        editor={editor}
+        command={() => editor.chain().focus().toggleOrderedList().run()}
+        isActive={editor.isActive('orderedList')}
+        label="Numbered list"
+      >
+        <ListOrdered size={14} />
+      </ComposeToolbarButton>
+      <ComposeToolbarButton
+        editor={editor}
+        command={() => editor.chain().focus().toggleBlockquote().run()}
+        isActive={editor.isActive('blockquote')}
+        label="Quote"
+      >
+        <Quote size={14} />
+      </ComposeToolbarButton>
+      <span className="gmail-compose-tool-sep" />
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        className={cn('gmail-compose-tool', editor.isActive('link') && 'is-active')}
+        onMouseDown={(event) => event.preventDefault()}
+        onClick={onOpenLink}
+        aria-label="Link"
+        aria-pressed={editor.isActive('link')}
+        title="Link"
+      >
+        <LinkIcon size={14} />
+      </button>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
 function ComposeBox({
   mode,
   thread,
@@ -293,16 +396,64 @@ function ComposeBox({
   onClose: () => void
 }) {
   const latest = latestMessage(thread)
-  const [body, setBody] = useState('')
-  const textareaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null)
   const to = mode === 'reply' ? extractAddress(latest?.from) : ''
 
+  const editor = useEditor({
+    extensions: [
+      StarterKit,
+      Link.configure({ openOnClick: false, autolink: true }),
+      Placeholder.configure({
+        placeholder: mode === 'reply' ? 'Write your reply…' : 'Write a message…',
+      }),
+    ],
+    editorProps: {
+      attributes: { class: 'gmail-compose-content' },
+    },
+    content: '',
+  })
+
+  const [linkOpen, setLinkOpen] = useState(false)
+  const [linkUrl, setLinkUrl] = useState('')
+  const savedSelectionRef = useRef<{ from: number; to: number } | null>(null)
+  const linkInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null)
+
+  const openLink = () => {
+    if (!editor) return
+    const { from, to: selTo } = editor.state.selection
+    savedSelectionRef.current = { from, to: selTo }
+    const existing = editor.getAttributes('link').href as string | undefined
+    setLinkUrl(existing || 'https://')
+    setLinkOpen(true)
+  }
+
   useEffect(() => {
-    const el = textareaRef.current
-    if (!el) return
-    el.style.height = 'auto'
-    el.style.height = `${Math.max(120, el.scrollHeight)}px`
-  }, [body])
+    if (!linkOpen) return
+    const id = window.setTimeout(() => linkInputRef.current?.select(), 0)
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(id)
+  }, [linkOpen])
+
+  const applyLink = () => {
+    if (!editor) {
+      setLinkOpen(false)
+      return
+    }
+    const sel = savedSelectionRef.current
+    setLinkOpen(false)
+    if (!sel) return
+    const trimmed = linkUrl.trim()
+    if (!trimmed || trimmed === 'https://') {
+      editor.chain().focus().setTextSelection(sel).extendMarkRange('link').unsetLink().run()
+      return
+    }
+    const href = /^[a-z]+:\/\//i.test(trimmed) ? trimmed : `https://${trimmed}`
+    editor.chain().focus().setTextSelection(sel).extendMarkRange('link').setLink({ href }).run()
+  }
+
+  const cancelLink = () => {
+    setLinkOpen(false)
+    const sel = savedSelectionRef.current
+    if (editor && sel) editor.chain().focus().setTextSelection(sel).run()
+  }
 
   return (
     <div className="gmail-compose-card">
@@ -320,12 +471,28 @@ function ComposeBox({
           <input value={`Fwd: ${thread.subject || '(No subject)'}`} readOnly />
         </div>
       )}
-      <textarea
-        ref={textareaRef}
-        value={body}
-        onChange={(event) => setBody(event.target.value)}
-        placeholder={mode === 'reply' ? 'Write your reply...' : 'Write a message...'}
-      />
+      <EditorContent editor={editor} className="gmail-compose-editor" />
+      {linkOpen && (
+        <div className="gmail-compose-link-popover" onMouseDown={(event) => event.preventDefault()}>
+          <input
+            ref={linkInputRef}
+            value={linkUrl}
+            onChange={(event) => setLinkUrl(event.target.value)}
+            placeholder="https://example.com"
+            onKeyDown={(event) => {
+              if (event.key === 'Enter') {
+                event.preventDefault()
+                applyLink()
+              } else if (event.key === 'Escape') {
+                event.preventDefault()
+                cancelLink()
+              }
+            }}
+          />
+          <button type="button" className="gmail-compose-link-popover-apply" onClick={applyLink}>Apply</button>
+          <button type="button" className="gmail-compose-link-popover-cancel" onClick={cancelLink}>Cancel</button>
+        </div>
+      )}
       <div className="gmail-compose-actions">
         <button
           type="button"
@@ -337,6 +504,7 @@ function ComposeBox({
           <Send size={15} />
           Send
         </button>
+        {editor && <ComposeToolbar editor={editor} onOpenLink={openLink} />}
         <button type="button" className="gmail-compose-link" onClick={onClose}>Discard</button>
       </div>
     </div>