macOS Sequoia Writing Assistant: How to Use It

macOS Sequoia’s built-in writing assistant helps you rewrite, proofread, and summarize text right inside any app that uses the system text tools. It works with Mail, Notes, Pages, Safari, and most third-party editors. You select text, choose an action, and the assistant returns a revised version you can accept or discard. No extra software is needed—it’s part of the OS, but you must be on a supported Mac and have Apple Intelligence enabled.

What You’ll Need

• A Mac that supports Apple Intelligence (Macs with an M1 chip or later, or Apple silicon).
• macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later installed.
• Apple Intelligence turned on in System Settings.
• Your Mac’s language and region set to a supported language (English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and others).
• An active internet connection for most writing assistant features (some on-device tasks work offline).

Step-by-Step

1. Update macOS: Go to → System Settings → General → Software Update. Install any available updates to ensure you have Sequoia 15.1 or later.
2. Enable Apple Intelligence: Open System Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri. Toggle “Apple Intelligence� on. You may need to wait for the download to finish.
3. Open a text app: Launch Mail, Notes, Pages, TextEdit, or any app that uses the standard text editing system (most do).
4. Type or paste text: Write a sentence or paragraph you want to improve. For example, type: “The meeting was good, we talked about the budget.�
5. Select the text: Click and drag over the text you want the assistant to work on. You can select a single word, a sentence, or an entire paragraph.
6. Invoke the writing assistant: Right-click (or Control-click) on the selected text. In the context menu, look for “Writing Tools� (or “Apple Intelligence� in some apps). Click it.
7. Choose an action: The Writing Tools panel appears with several options:
   • Proofread: Checks spelling, grammar, and punctuation. It shows suggested edits with explanations.
   • Rewrite: Rewrites the selection in a different tone or style. You can pick “Friendly,â€� “Professional,â€� or “Concise.â€�
   • Summarize: Creates a short summary of the selected text. You can also choose “Key Pointsâ€� to get bullet points.
   • Smart Reply (in Mail): Suggests a quick response to an email.
8. Review the result: After you click an action, the assistant processes the text and shows a new version in the panel. For Proofread, it may highlight specific issues.
9. Accept or discard: If you like the change, click “Replace� (or “Use� in some apps). If not, click “Cancel� or press Escape to keep your original text.
10. Refine further: For Rewrite, you can click “Rewrite Again� to get a different version. You can also describe a specific change, like “Make it more formal� or “Shorten this to one sentence.�

Common Mistakes

• Not enabling Apple Intelligence: The writing assistant won’t appear if Apple Intelligence is off. Double-check System Settings.
• Using an unsupported app: Some older or non-native apps (like certain Electron apps) may not show the Writing Tools option. Try a native Apple app to test.
• Selecting too much or too little: If you select nothing, the assistant may not activate. If you select a huge block, the rewrite might take longer or lose context. Select just the part you want changed.
• Expecting offline magic: While some on-device processing works, many features require an internet connection. If you’re offline, the assistant may be slow or unavailable.
• Forgetting to replace: The assistant shows a preview, but you must click “Replaceâ€� to apply it. If you just close the panel, your original text stays.

Tips

• Use Proofread first: It’s the safest option—it only suggests changes, and you can review each one.
• Try different rewrite tones: The “Professionalâ€� tone is great for emails to colleagues; “Friendlyâ€� works for casual messages.
• Use Summarize for long articles: Select a long webpage or document and choose “Summarizeâ€� to get the gist quickly.
• Combine with Smart Reply in Mail: When you get an email, select the message and look for “Smart Replyâ€� to get a suggested response you can edit.
• Keyboard shortcut: You can also use the keyboard shortcut (usually Control+Shift+W) to open Writing Tools if you’ve selected text.
• Customize with “Describe a Changeâ€�: Instead of picking a preset, type a specific instruction like “Change to past tenseâ€� or “Make it more persuasive.â€�

Troubleshooting

Writing Tools doesn’t appear in the context menu. First, confirm you’re on macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later. Go to System Settings → General → Software Update. Then check Apple Intelligence is on. If it’s still missing, restart the app you’re using, or try a native Apple app like Notes. Some third-party apps may not support it yet.

The assistant is grayed out or says “Not Available.� This usually means your Mac’s language or region isn’t supported. Go to System Settings → General → Language & Region and switch to a supported language (e.g., English US). You may need to log out and back in.

It takes a long time or shows an error. Check your internet connection. The writing assistant uses Apple’s servers for many tasks. If you’re on a slow network, try again later. Also, make sure your Mac has enough free storage—Apple Intelligence needs space to download models.

After clicking “Replace,� nothing changes. This can happen if the app doesn’t support inline replacement. Try copying the suggested text manually from the panel and pasting it over your original.

Proofread doesn’t catch everything. The assistant is not perfect. It may miss context-specific errors. Always give the final text a quick manual read.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the writing assistant free? Yes, it’s built into macOS Sequoia. No subscription is needed.

Does it work offline? Some features (like basic proofreading) may work on-device, but most actions require an internet connection.

Can I use it in any app? It works in apps that use Apple’s standard text editing system. Most Apple apps and many third-party apps support it, but some (like certain web-based editors) may not.

Will it change my original text? No. The assistant only shows suggestions. You have to click “Replace� to apply them.

How do I get a different rewrite? After a rewrite, click “Rewrite Again� to generate another version. You can also type a specific instruction.

Does it work with languages other than English? Yes, but only for supported languages listed in Apple’s documentation. You can change your Mac’s language in System Settings.

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