How to Enable Autocorrect on Mac

There are three ways to enable autocorrect on Mac. The first is the built-in option in System Settings under Keyboard, which is free and works in most Apple apps. The second is Apple Intelligence Writing Tools, available on macOS 15 Sequoia with an M1 chip or later. The third is Charm, a $9.99 native app that delivers accurate autocorrect in every Mac app.

Method 1: Enable macOS Built-In Autocorrect

Every Mac ships with a basic autocorrect feature tucked inside System Settings. It takes about 30 seconds to turn on and requires no additional software.

Steps to enable macOS autocorrect

1. Open the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and click System Settings.
2. Click Keyboard in the left sidebar.
3. Next to Input Sources, click Edit... (on some macOS versions this appears as Text Replacements).
4. Toggle on Correct spelling automatically.
5. Optionally toggle on Capitalise words automatically for sentence-start capitalisation.

Once enabled, macOS autocorrect activates in Safari, Mail, Notes, TextEdit, and other Apple apps. You can also reach these settings via System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit.

Method 2: Apple Intelligence Writing Tools (macOS 15+, M1 or later)

Apple Intelligence arrived with macOS 15 Sequoia and introduced Writing Tools - a feature that can proofread, rewrite, and summarise text. It is available only on Macs with an M1 chip or newer, running macOS 15 Sequoia or later. As of 2025, approximately 40% of active Mac users have adopted macOS 15.

Steps to enable Apple Intelligence

1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
2. Click Apple Intelligence & Siri in the left sidebar.
3. Turn on Apple Intelligence. Follow any setup prompts.
4. Once enabled, open a supported app such as Mail, Notes, or Pages.
5. Select some text and tap the Writing Tools button that appears in the context menu.

Writing Tools offer proofreading and rewriting suggestions rather than the instant, invisible correction that traditional autocorrect provides. They are most useful for reviewing a finished draft - not for correcting typos as you type.

Method 3: Charm - Autocorrect in Every Mac App (Recommended)

Charm is a native macOS menu bar app that delivers real-time spelling correction, grammar fixing, and word prediction across every application on your Mac. It uses macOS Accessibility APIs to work in any text field - Safari, Slack, VS Code, Terminal, PDF forms, custom apps, anywhere. Setup takes under two minutes.

Charm requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and costs $9.99 as a one-time purchase. All processing happens on-device - your text never leaves your Mac.

Steps to install and activate Charm

1. Download Charm from theodorehq.com/charm.
2. Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag Charm to your Applications folder.
3. Launch Charm from Applications or via Spotlight (Cmd + Space, type "Charm").
4. When prompted, grant Accessibility permission in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. This is required for Charm to read and correct text across apps.
5. Charm activates immediately. A small icon appears in your menu bar.
6. Click the menu bar icon to configure which features to use: Spells (real-time spelling correction), Polish (grammar and sentence fixing), and Oracle (word prediction as you type).

From that point forward, Charm works silently in the background. There are no red underlines, no popups - just quiet, accurate corrections as you type across every app on your Mac.

Comparing the three methods

The built-in option is free and fine for light use inside Apple apps. Apple Intelligence is a useful addition for supported app users on newer hardware. Charm is the right choice for anyone who types across many different apps and wants consistent, accurate correction everywhere - without a subscription or cloud dependency.

For a deeper look at how the built-in option compares, see Charm vs macOS Autocorrect. To understand why the built-in autocorrect misses so many mistakes, see The Complete Guide to Autocorrect on Mac.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on autocorrect on a Mac?

Open System Settings, click Keyboard, then click Edit next to Input Sources. Toggle on "Correct spelling automatically". This enables macOS built-in autocorrect across most native apps. For system-wide coverage in every app including Slack, VS Code, and third-party tools, use Charm instead.

Does Mac have autocorrect built in?

Yes. macOS includes a basic autocorrect feature found in System Settings under Keyboard. It works in many native Apple apps but has limited accuracy and does not cover all third-party applications. For more reliable correction across every app, Charm is a better option.

What is Apple Intelligence Writing Tools and does it replace autocorrect?

Apple Intelligence Writing Tools (macOS 15+, M1 or later) offer rewriting and proofreading in supported apps like Mail, Notes, and Pages. They complement rather than replace autocorrect. They do not work in most third-party apps. Charm fills that gap with real-time correction in every app.

Why is my Mac autocorrect not working?

macOS autocorrect may be disabled in System Settings, or you may be using an app that does not support it. Many third-party apps ignore macOS text correction entirely. Charm bypasses this limitation by using Accessibility APIs to correct text in every app, regardless of whether the app supports system autocorrect.

Is Charm better than macOS built-in autocorrect?

For most users, yes. macOS autocorrect is limited to certain apps and has modest accuracy. Charm works in every Mac app, offers three correction modes (Spells for spelling, Polish for grammar, Oracle for word prediction), processes everything on-device, and costs $9.99 once.