Apple Writing Tools not on your Mac? Try Plume.
Writing Tools can be missing even on a recent Mac. It needs Apple Intelligence turned on, the same supported language for your Mac and Siri, and up to 14 GB of space. Plume runs on any Mac with macOS 15, Intel included: select text in any app and press ⌃⌥Space.
Why Writing Tools doesn’t show up.
Writing Tools is part of Apple Intelligence. It appears only when all of these are true:
- Your Mac has an M1 chip or later. Intel Macs can’t run it.
- It runs macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later, with Apple Intelligence turned on.
- Your Mac and Siri are set to the same supported language.
- Apple Intelligence has finished downloading. It takes up to 8 GB, or 14 GB on some M3 and later Macs.
- The Mac wasn’t bought in mainland China.
Plume needs none of these.
Sources: Apple Support, How to get the next generation of Apple Intelligence (September 14, 2026), and Apple Newsroom (October 28, 2024).
Plume and Writing Tools, side by side.
| Criterion | Plume | Apple Writing Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Works on | Any Mac with macOS 15 or later, Intel or Apple silicon | Macs with M1 or later and Apple Intelligence |
| Setup | Install, then paste a free OpenRouter key | Turn on Apple Intelligence, set the same language for Mac and Siri, free up 8 to 14 GB |
| Open it | ⌃⌥Space in any app | Control-click, then the Writing Tools menu |
| Versions | Four side by side, changes highlighted | One result at a time. Rewrite again for another |
| Your own styles | Edit the four versions and their prompts, or add your own | Preset tones (Friendly, Professional, Concise), or describe a change each time |
| Model | A free model, or GPT, Claude or Gemini with OpenRouter credit | Apple’s models, plus an optional ChatGPT extension |
| Cost | Free app | Included with macOS |
What Plume does that Writing Tools doesn’t.
Plume shows four versions at once: Proofread, Clearer, More polished and Shorter, with changed words highlighted. Return replaces your text, and ⌘Z undoes it.
You set what the versions do. Edit their prompts or add your own in Settings. You also pick the model: a free one, or GPT, Claude or Gemini with OpenRouter credit. And it runs on Intel Macs with macOS 15.
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t I see Writing Tools, even on a new Mac?
It needs Apple Intelligence turned on, an M1 chip or later, the same supported language for macOS and Siri, and up to 14 GB of free space. Plume doesn’t need any of them.
Does Plume work on Intel Macs?
Yes. Plume runs on Intel and Apple silicon Macs with macOS 15 or later.
Is Plume free?
Yes. With a free OpenRouter key, Plume uses a free model. Add credit to OpenRouter to pick GPT, Claude or Gemini. You pay OpenRouter directly.
Where does my text go?
Only to OpenRouter, when you press ⌃⌥Space. Plume has no account or server, and it skips password fields.