Apple Writing Tools: why you would want to use them, and how
Creative professionals working with text were among the earliest to harness artificial intelligence effectively. Interestingly, those who specialize in AI seldom use the acronym itself, opting instead for LLM, which stands for “large language model.” The emphasis on “language” appears to have shaped both the initial wave of practical applications and the group of pioneering users.
Today, numerous services are available to everyone that streamline operations involving textual content, from summarization and grammar checking to prompt-driven generation. Additionally, all major editing suites offer built-in or easily integrable assistance features. Within the Apple ecosystem, these capabilities are possessed by Writing Tools, a collection of AI-powered functions seamlessly integrated into the ecosystem. In this article, we explore what these tools can offer and guide you on how to make the most of them.
The features of Apple Writing Tools
The set of features of Writing Tools does not exactly extend beyond what’s expected from such aids, since there’s really not much (if anything) to add, the nature of assistance considered. It’s all about execution and the delivered results.
- Real-time grammar and spelling suggestions. This isn’t something new, per se, since on-the-fly spellchecking has been with us for decades now. There is a new layer to this feature, though: in addition to automatically detecting and correcting grammar mistakes and misspellings, Writing Tools consider the context and identify awkward phrasing, suggesting alterations that improve understandability and ensure accuracy.
- Autocompletion. You might have encountered a similar feature in advanced keyboard apps on mobile devices: they predict the next word by analyzing data gathered over your usage period. More often than not, these predictions prove remarkably accurate, helping you save valuable time. This functionality is particularly beneficial when dealing with repetitive content such as emails.
- Summarization. Writing tools can serve as your personal assistant by analyzing lengthy content (whether emails, articles, or reports) and producing concise summaries that highlight all the essential information in an easily digestible format. Since these features are integrated across Apple apps that handle text, summarization might quickly become one of your go-to capabilities. A quick note of caution, though: when dealing with highly important material, it’s still advisable to review the original text yourself.
- Rewriting. Occasionally, you may feel the need to reword a passage because it doesn’t quite resonate. At times, you might want to repurpose content while giving it a fresh tone distinct from the source. The rewriting feature offered by Writing Tools can effortlessly handle this task for you.
- Composing. Relying on ChatGPT – thus far, at least, things may change in the future – Apple’s Writing Tools can help you overcome that writer’s block or simply start the email you need to write with the Compose feature. Just tell the model what the text should be about in your own words, and get the material you can work with. This tool works well in combination with the rewriting functionality.
How to enable and use Writing Tools on Macs and iPhones
Apple’s Writing Tools are available in complementary Apple apps that deal with text, including Notes, Pages, Mail, and Messages on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Here is how to turn the Tools on.
First things first: enable Apple Intelligence
Start by updating your device to the latest OS version available. The earliest iOS/iPadOS that has Apple intelligence on board is 18.1, macOS – Sequoia 15.1.
Once through the update process, go to Settings (or System Settings) > Apple Intelligence & Siri, and toggle Apple Intelligence on there. This applies to all the operating systems considered.
Using Writing Tools
The pattern is more or less similar for Apple’s mobile and desktop applications:
- select the portion of text you want to proofread, rewrite, summarize;
- access the Writing Tools by tapping the arrow next to the cut, copy, and paste options in a mobile app, or right-click (Control-click) the selected text and choose Writing Tools.
That’s it! The context menu gives you access to the above-described features of Writing Tools, simple as that.
Writing Tools tips
After making your edits, you can accept, reject, or revert changes as needed. Working with text, it’s always a good idea to let it stew for at least a couple of minutes (a dozen is better, but the world is too fast-paced nowadays) before stamping it done, and this interface step provides you with this opportunity.
In the Apple ecosystem, Writing Tools are compatible with most text fields across both native and third-party apps, including social media platforms, email clients, and messaging apps. Don’t think of this suite as reserved to Pages exclusively, it can do much more for you in a variety of spots.
Use the “Describe your change” option to tell the model how you want the text to be adjusted. You can make a text sound more casual or formal, summarize a report into a number of bullets, etc. This function really simplifies the overall process of using Writing Tools.
What’s your experience with Apple Writing Tools? Share with us in the comments section below.
