Composing clear, professional, and well-structured text directly from a mobile device can be challenging when drafting complex emails, client proposals, or long-form notes on the go. In iOS 18, Apple introduced Writing Tools as a cornerstone of the Apple Intelligence suite. Built deeply into the system keyboard and text selection menus, Writing Tools empowers you to proofread, rewrite, adjust tone, and summarise text across virtually every app on your iPhone.
Because Writing Tools is embedded at the operating system level, it functions universally across native apps like Mail, Messages, Notes, and Pages, as well as third-party productivity suites including Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Docs.
Hardware and Software Requirements
Because Writing Tools relies on large on-device neural language models paired with Private Cloud Compute, specific device prerequisites apply:
- Supported iPhone Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model (powered by the A17 Pro or A18 chip family).
- Operating System: iOS 18.1 or later.
- Apple Intelligence Activated: Apple Intelligence enabled under Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- System Language: Device and Siri language set to a supported language (such as English UK or English US).
Core Features of Writing Tools
Writing Tools is organised into three practical editing disciplines:
- Proofread: Identifies grammatical inaccuracies, punctuation mistakes, syntax errors, and awkward phrasing, providing inline corrections and one-tap replacements accompanied by explanations.
- Rewrite & Tone Adjustment: Rephrases your sentences to alter stylistic delivery—switch effortlessly between Friendly, Professional, or Concise registers.
- Summarisation & Structuring: Condenses long-form prose into high-impact bulleted lists, key takeaway digests, structured tables, or brief executive summaries.
How to Access and Use Writing Tools on iPhone
Triggering Writing Tools during any writing session takes only a couple of taps:
- Open any app where you are composing text (such as Mail, Notes, or Messages).
- Highlight the text you want to refine by double-tapping a word or dragging the selection pins.
- In the contextual pop-up menu that appears above your highlighted text, tap the glowing Writing Tools button (marked with the Apple Intelligence multi-coloured loop icon).
- A dedicated slide-up panel appears displaying available processing options:
- Tap Proofread to scan for errors. The tool presents suggested revisions inline; tap Replace to accept all changes, or tap individual edits to review them selectively.
- Tap Rewrite to produce a polished alternative phrasing.
- Choose a specific tone: select Friendly for personal correspondence, Professional for business emails, or Concise to eliminate fluff.
- Under the Summarise section, tap Summary, Key Points, List, or Table to restructure lengthy passages.
- Once satisfied with the generated output, tap Done to replace your original text directly on the canvas.
Writing Tools Action Reference Table
| Tool Mode | Primary Function | Ideal Real-World Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Proofread | Detects spelling, grammar, and syntax oversights | Final check before sending important client emails or submitting articles. |
| Professional Rewrite | Refines colloquial phrasing into formal business prose | Drafting corporate announcements, performance feedback, or formal letters. |
| Friendly Rewrite | Softens direct or blunt wording into approachable text | Responding to team chat messages, social posts, or family correspondence. |
| Concise Rewrite | Trims redundant adjectives and filler phrases | Drafting concise SMS updates or tight executive briefing summaries. |
| Key Points | Extracts actionable insights into a bulleted list | Condensing lengthy meeting minutes or complex technical specifications. |
| Table | Parses comparative text into rows and columns | Transforming descriptive product comparisons into readable tables. |
How Writing Tools Protects Your Privacy
A critical consideration when using AI-driven writing aids is data privacy. Apple Intelligence processes the vast majority of standard text edits entirely on-device using local Neural Engine silicon. When more complex reasoning or lengthy document synthesis requires broader compute power, your request utilizes Private Cloud Compute.
Under Private Cloud Compute, data sent to Apple’s silicon servers is cryptographically isolated, used exclusively to process your specific writing request, and never stored, logged, or used to train foundation models.
Customising Keyboard Shortcuts and Disabling Writing Tools
If you prefer to disable Writing Tools or manage its visibility:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Navigate to General > Keyboard.
- Scroll down to inspect Apple Intelligence writing integrations. You can toggle shortcuts on or off according to your workflow preference.