Offline AI writing on Mac
Know what runs locally, and what still connects.
# Offline AI writing on Mac: what stays local and how to choose
An offline AI writing app runs its writing model on your Mac rather than sending your draft to a hosted model. That can help keep emails, notes, and messages on your device, but you still need to check setup downloads, optional cloud providers, local history, and the app's replacement behavior. “Private” and “offline” describe different things; neither label tells you the whole workflow.
Availability: The current release is Easy Write 2.0, available as a signed, notarized DMG. Every Easy Write workflow below describes 2.0. Follow the setup guide for installation and permissions; a release download is not evidence that an installed app has completed an automatic update.
Start with the writing task
Choose a short, representative task before comparing apps. You might need to correct a paragraph in Mail, make a Slack reply less abrupt, or translate a message into formal German. Use a disposable example that includes a name, a deadline, and a negative statement. Those details make unwanted changes easier to spot.
For example: “Mira cannot approve the €240 invoice before 14 November.” A useful rewrite must not turn “cannot” into “can,” change the amount, or invent approval. You are evaluating whether a tool fits your work, not whether one polished demonstration looks impressive.
Check what “offline” covers
Ask four practical questions:
- Which model runs this action? Some apps let grammar run locally while translation uses a cloud provider. Check the setting for each task you intend to use.
- What must download first? Apple's models and separately installed models require preparation. An initial download is compatible with later offline inference.
- What else connects? Updates, licensing, support links, and optional cloud actions have separate network behavior.
- What remains on disk? Local processing does not automatically mean no local history. Read retention settings before using sensitive drafts.
The Apple developer guidance on generative AI distinguishes on-device models, which work offline, from server-based processing. Apple's broader Apple Intelligence system also includes Private Cloud Compute. Do not assume every feature carrying the Apple Intelligence name follows the same processing path.
Compare the actual workflows
These descriptions reflect official documentation checked on 23 October 2026. They are not independent speed, quality, or privacy audits.
| Option | Workflow to consider | Setup or tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Write 2.0 | Selection-based translation, formality choices, and custom rewrite actions using Apple's on-device model. Bar previews and popup actions support review. | Signed, notarized DMG; macOS 26+, Apple Silicon, Apple Intelligence ready, and Accessibility permission for supported selections. Homebrew installation is not live. |
| Apple Writing Tools | Selected-text proofreading, rewriting, and tone changes through system controls; “Describe a change” accepts an instruction. | Available controls depend on supported software, language, region, and app context. Check Apple's requirements rather than assuming every Mac qualifies. |
| RewriteBar | Selected-text transformations, custom commands, multiple delivery modes, and local or cloud providers. | Apple Intelligence is one supported local option; provider configuration determines processing. Paid licenses and an optional hosted gateway serve different needs. |
| Refine | Inline writing suggestions, a Floating Editor, rewriting, and translation with downloaded local models or optional hosted providers. | Local models need a one-time download. Selected-text editor workflows and accepting inline suggestions differ from automatic selection replacement. |
| Reword | The website build advertises tone-based selected-text replacement and an Apple on-device model option. | The vendor distinguishes that build from its App Store version, which lacks in-place rewriting. A cloud option is also available. |
Sources: Apple Writing Tools, RewriteBar commands, RewriteBar Apple setup, Refine features, Refine processing, and Reword.
Try Easy Write 2.0 carefully
On a compatible Mac with Easy Write 2.0 installed, check Apple Intelligence readiness and the app's Accessibility status. Upgrading from 1.x needs a new Accessibility grant because the signing identity has changed. Select a sentence in an editable field, open the Easy Write Bar with its default Option–Command–K shortcut, and choose a translation or action. Read the result preview before replacing anything.
Start with short text. Compare names, numbers, dates, negation, and commitments against the original. Formality is another check: the correct pronoun alone does not establish that a whole message suits its recipient. Have a proficient speaker review consequential writing in an unfamiliar language.
Easy Write is designed to verify the original process, window, field, range, and selected text before automatic replacement. A changed or unverifiable destination falls back to review. Some apps do not expose a usable Accessibility selection, so “across Mac apps” should never be read as a compatibility guarantee.
Keep a clear privacy boundary
In 2.0, inference uses Apple's on-device Foundation Models without an Easy Write account or API key. History is off by default. Enabling it saves originals and results as local, unencrypted JSON; turning it off deletes that file, while backups can retain earlier copies. Optional update checks and external links are separate from writing inference. Update checks send no selected text, but the destination can see ordinary network metadata; keeping inference local does not make every app activity network-free.
Pick the tool whose behavior you understand and whose workflow you will actually use. Easy Write's case is a focused combination of local translation, formality, and selected-text actions. Similar tools exist; the meaningful choice is which combination fits your Mac and your writing.