Apple Intelligence Writing Tools: Which Apps Do They Actually Work In?

Apple Intelligence Writing Tools work in native Mac apps using Apple's AppKit and SwiftUI frameworks: Mail, Notes, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Safari, and most Apple-built apps. They do not work in Electron apps - Slack, VS Code, Discord, Notion, Obsidian, Linear, Figma - or in Google Docs, Chrome, Firefox, or most third-party productivity tools. This covers the majority of where most Mac users write every day.

Which apps do Apple Intelligence Writing Tools support?

Apple Intelligence Writing Tools are integrated with the macOS text services system and communicate with apps through the NSTextInputClient protocol. This protocol reaches native AppKit and SwiftUI text views - the text fields built using Apple's own frameworks.

The following apps fully support Apple Intelligence Writing Tools on macOS 15 Sequoia with Apple Silicon:

• Mail (compose windows and reply fields)
• Notes (note editor)
• Pages (document editor)
• Numbers (cell text content)
• Keynote (text boxes and presenter notes)
• Safari (address bar and web form fields with standard input)
• Messages (compose field)
• Reminders (notes field)
• Calendar (event notes)
• TextEdit (rich text and plain text documents)
• Books (notes and highlights)
• Finder (file rename fields)

In these apps, you can select text and access Writing Tools via the right-click context menu or the Edit menu, with options to proofread, rewrite, summarize, or adjust tone.

Which popular apps are NOT covered by Apple Intelligence?

The list of unsupported apps includes many of the most widely used Mac productivity tools. Approximately 73% of the top 100 Mac productivity apps are built with Electron or similar web-wrapper frameworks, which bypass macOS text services entirely.

Why doesn't Apple Intelligence work in Electron apps?

Electron apps bundle a complete Chromium browser engine inside a desktop application shell. When you type text inside an Electron app like Slack or VS Code, you are typing into an HTML element rendered by Chromium - not an AppKit text field. macOS text services, including Apple Intelligence, communicate through the NSTextInputClient protocol, which only connects to AppKit and SwiftUI text views.

Chromium maintains its own parallel text handling system, completely separate from macOS text services. This is the same architectural boundary that prevents standard macOS autocorrect from working in Electron apps. Apple Intelligence inherits this limitation - the data never reaches the layer where Apple Intelligence operates.

This is not a fixable misconfiguration. It is a fundamental architectural separation between Electron's browser-based rendering and Apple's native text framework. Apple would need Electron itself to adopt the NSTextInputClient protocol for Apple Intelligence to reach these apps.

Additionally, Apple Intelligence requires macOS 15 Sequoia AND Apple Silicon hardware (M1 or later). Only approximately 40% of active Macs can run macOS 15 Sequoia, and a meaningful proportion of those are still Intel machines that are permanently excluded from Apple Intelligence regardless of OS version.

What provides writing assistance across all apps on Mac?

Charm uses a different architectural approach entirely. Rather than relying on the macOS text services layer - where Apple Intelligence lives and where Electron creates an impassable barrier - Charm uses the Accessibility API combined with CGEventTap at the OS kernel level.

CGEventTap intercepts keystrokes before they reach any application, at the kernel level below every app framework. This is why Charm can provide real-time spelling correction (Spells), grammar correction (Polish), and word prediction (Oracle) inside Slack, VS Code, Obsidian, Discord, Notion, Linear, Figma, and every other app on your Mac.

Charm also works in all the apps where Apple Intelligence works - Mail, Notes, Pages, Messages - so you get coverage everywhere with a single tool. One $9.99 purchase, no subscription, macOS 14 Sonoma or later on Intel or Apple Silicon.

Frequently asked questions

Does Apple Intelligence work in Google Docs?

No. Google Docs runs inside a browser as a web application and uses a heavily customized canvas-based editor that does not expose standard text input interfaces. Apple Intelligence Writing Tools do not function in Google Docs on Mac, regardless of which browser you use to access it.

Why doesn't Apple Intelligence work in Chrome?

Chrome has its own text handling layer that partially bypasses macOS text services. Apple Intelligence Writing Tools work best with AppKit and SwiftUI text fields. Chrome tabs receive limited or no Apple Intelligence support, and web apps inside Chrome - like Google Docs or Notion web - have no coverage.

Does Apple Intelligence work in the Messages app?

Yes. Messages is a native Apple app built with AppKit and SwiftUI, fully supported by Apple Intelligence Writing Tools on macOS 15 Sequoia with Apple Silicon hardware. You can proofread, rewrite, and adjust tone directly in the Messages compose field.

What writing tool works in every Mac app?

Charm works in every Mac app including Electron apps like Slack, VS Code, Obsidian, Discord, Notion, and Linear. It uses the Accessibility API and CGEventTap at the OS kernel level - below any app framework - providing real-time spelling correction, grammar fixing, and word prediction everywhere you type.

Does Apple Intelligence require internet?

Basic Writing Tools features run on-device using Apple Silicon's neural engine. Advanced features like ChatGPT integration require internet. However, Apple Intelligence requires both macOS 15 Sequoia AND Apple Silicon (M1 or later) - Intel Mac users cannot access it regardless of connectivity.