How to Use Hotkeys for Rewriting Selected Text on Mac (2026)

TL;DR

You can rewrite selected text on a Mac using a keyboard shortcut through three main methods: Apple Intelligence Writing Tools (free, built-in, but requires manual shortcut setup), third-party menu bar apps that work system-wide, or a DIY Apple Shortcut connected to an LLM API. This glossary defines every term you’ll encounter during setup and helps you pick the right approach for your workflow.

You’ve drafted an email, a Slack message, or a paragraph in a doc. Something about it isn’t right, but fixing it means copying the text, opening ChatGPT or another tool, pasting it in, waiting, then copying the result back. That’s four steps too many.

The better approach: highlight the text, press a hotkey, and watch the rewrite appear in place. No window switching. No clipboard gymnastics. This is what “using hotkeys for rewriting selected text on Mac” actually means in practice, and setting it up is easier than most people think.

This glossary defines every term you’ll run into along the way. Whether you’re configuring Apple’s built-in Writing Tools, evaluating a third-party app, or building your own shortcut from scratch, every concept below is something you’ll encounter.

→ Rewrite selected text on Mac with a single shortcut using Syneli.

Foundation Terms

Hotkey / Keyboard Shortcut

A combination of keys pressed simultaneously to trigger an action. On Mac, shortcuts typically combine one or more modifier keys with a letter, number, or symbol key. For rewriting selected text, a hotkey replaces the multi-step process of copying text to an external tool and pasting the result back. The shortcut fires the rewrite and returns the improved text to the same spot.

Modifier Keys (⌘ ⌥ ⌃ ⇧)

The four special keys on a Mac keyboard used in combination with other keys to create shortcuts:

Symbol	Key Name	Position on Keyboard
⌘	Command	Both sides of spacebar
⌥	Option (Alt)	Next to Command
⌃	Control	Bottom-left corner
⇧	Shift	Above Control/Option on each side

When setting up hotkeys for rewriting selected text on Mac, modifier choice matters. According to a detailed shortcut guide from TypeFire, Control + Shift + Letter combinations have the fewest conflicts on macOS because Apple rarely uses Ctrl+Shift in system shortcuts. Three-modifier combos like ⌘⌥⇧+Letter are even safer but harder to press quickly.

Selected Text

Text you’ve highlighted by clicking and dragging, double-clicking a word, or using ⌘A (Select All). On macOS, selected text is the input for any rewrite operation. The system or app reads whatever you’ve highlighted, sends it for processing, and replaces it with the result. Without a selection, there’s nothing to rewrite.

In-Place Replacement

The rewritten text swaps directly into the position where the original text sat. No new window, no clipboard operation visible to the user, no paste step. This is the core user experience that separates hotkey-based rewriting from the copy-paste-into-ChatGPT workflow. Tools like Syneli and others achieve this by reading your selection, processing it, and inserting the result back at the same cursor location.

macOS System Terms

App Shortcuts (macOS System Settings)

A built-in macOS feature that lets you assign a keyboard shortcut to any existing menu command in any application. This is how you add a hotkey for Apple Intelligence Writing Tools, which ships without a default shortcut.

The path: System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts → click the + button. In the Menu Title field, type the exact menu command name (like “Show Writing Tools”), set Application to “All Applications,” then record your preferred key combo.

One important limitation from Apple’s documentation: you can create keyboard shortcuts only for existing menu commands. You cannot create shortcuts for general-purpose tasks like opening an app or triggering a custom script. This is precisely why third-party apps exist for system-wide AI rewriting.

Global Hotkey

A keyboard shortcut that works regardless of which application is currently in focus. Most Mac shortcuts are app-specific, meaning ⌘B makes text bold in Pages but might do something else in Terminal. A global hotkey fires the same action everywhere. For rewriting selected text, a global hotkey is essential because you want the same rewrite behavior whether you’re in Safari, VS Code, Slack, or Apple Mail.

macOS Accessibility API

The mechanism most third-party rewrite tools use to read and replace selected text directly within any app. When you grant an app Accessibility permission (System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility), you allow it to interact with text fields across the entire operating system.

As documented by multiple app developers, tools like RewordIt use the macOS Accessibility API to read and replace selected text directly in any app. WordPolish similarly uses macOS Accessibility and Clipboard permissions to read your selection and surrounding text. Without this permission, a third-party tool would be limited to clipboard-based workarounds.

Menu Bar App

A lightweight macOS application that lives in the top-right area of the screen (the menu bar) rather than in the Dock. Most dedicated rewrite tools for Mac are menu bar apps. They stay out of your way, consume minimal resources, and activate only when you press the hotkey. You’ll see their icon in the menu bar where you can access settings, view usage, or configure shortcuts.

Rewriting and AI Terms

Rewriting (AI-Powered)

Using a language model to transform existing text into a different version while preserving the original meaning. This is distinct from find-and-replace or simple spell-check. AI-powered rewriting includes rephrasing for clarity, changing tone, fixing grammar, simplifying complex sentences, translating to another language, or converting prose into bullet points.

Apple’s official documentation describes it this way: you can use Writing Tools to “proofread your work, create different versions of the same text to help you find the right wording and tone, and summarize selected text.”

Tone Preset

A predefined writing style applied during rewriting. Common presets include Professional, Concise, Friendly, and Clear. Instead of typing a custom prompt every time, you select a preset (or press a dedicated shortcut mapped to it) and the tool adjusts the text accordingly.

Apple Intelligence offers Friendly, Professional, and Concise as built-in options. Third-party tools often go further. Syneli, for example, maps different tones to specific key combinations: Right Command for general cleanup, Right Command + Right Option for “Professional” tone. No prompt typing needed.

Proofreading vs. Rewriting vs. Summarizing

Three distinct operations that often live under the same umbrella:

• Proofreading corrects spelling, grammar, and punctuation without changing meaning or style.

• Rewriting restructures and rephrases text, often changing tone or complexity.

• Summarizing condenses text into a shorter version capturing only key points.

A practitioner on AppleVis shared a useful workflow distinction: “I use the proofreading feature of writing tools a lot. I have Control+Shift+R set as the keyboard shortcut. This causes the text to immediately get proofread.” This shows you can bypass the full Writing Tools panel and trigger individual actions directly, which is faster for repetitive tasks.

Diff Overlay / Preview

A visual comparison showing the original text alongside the proposed rewrite before you accept it. Some tools show deletions in red and additions in green. WordPolish, for instance, lets you “review the suggested rewrite in a clean diff overlay” and “apply the changes directly to your document with one click.” SwiftPen takes a similar approach: “Review the diff before replacing.” Not every tool offers this. Some replace text immediately, trading review time for speed.

Tool Architecture Terms

System-Wide Tool vs. Browser Extension

This is the single most important architectural distinction when choosing how to use hotkeys for rewriting selected text on Mac.

A browser extension (like Grammarly’s Chrome extension) injects itself into web page text fields. It works in Gmail, Google Docs, and other browser-based apps, but it cannot touch text in Slack’s desktop app, VS Code, Apple Notes, or any native macOS application.

A system-wide tool is a native macOS app that works across every application on your Mac without running in a browser, without injecting code into web pages, and without monitoring your typing in the background. If you write in multiple apps throughout the day, a system-wide approach is the only way to get consistent hotkey-based rewriting everywhere.

For a deeper comparison, see how Syneli works as a Grammarly alternative that covers native desktop apps, not just browsers.

Apple Intelligence Writing Tools

Apple’s built-in AI writing assistant, available on supported Mac models running macOS 15 Sequoia or later. It offers proofreading, rewriting with tone options, summarizing, and custom rewrites via the “Describe your change” field.

The catch: there is no official keyboard shortcut for it by default. As 9to5Mac explains, “on macOS, you need to go to Keyboard Shortcuts in System Settings and, under App Shortcuts, input Show Writing Tools as Menu title.” A common choice is ⌘⇧. (Command + Shift + Period).

Apple Intelligence is also not available on all Mac models or in all languages or regions. If your Mac doesn’t support it, or if you need faster, more customizable rewrites, third-party tools fill the gap.

BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)

A pricing model where you supply your own API key from an AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.) instead of paying the app developer for AI usage. The app handles the interface and shortcut logic while your API calls go directly to the provider.

The economics are favorable for most users. According to TypeFire’s setup guide, “$5 in credits is plenty; thousands of typical rewrites.” BYOK gives you control over which model processes your text, but it requires a few extra setup steps compared to apps with built-in AI.

Local / On-Device Processing

AI processing that happens entirely on your Mac without sending data to external servers. This matters for privacy, speed, and offline availability.

Some tools run everything locally. SwiftPen advertises that “everything runs natively on your Mac. All rewriting, dictation, and transcription happens locally.” Syneli takes a hybrid approach: core dictation runs on-device, while translation and restyling use cloud AI only when you explicitly trigger those features. For more on this topic, see this guide to privacy-focused offline dictation on Mac.

Workflow Terms

Text Expansion vs. Text Rewriting

Two related but different concepts that often get confused.

Text expansion inserts new text from a trigger. You type “//sig” and it expands into your full email signature. The original trigger text is replaced by something entirely new and predetermined.

Text rewriting transforms existing text you’ve already written. You highlight a paragraph of rough notes and press a hotkey, and the AI returns a polished version of that same content. The meaning stays; the wording changes.

Some tools like TypeFire blur the line by offering both features. But when people search for how to use hotkeys for rewriting selected text on Mac, they almost always mean the second category.

Dictation with Rewrite

A two-step workflow where you first speak to create text (dictation), then immediately rewrite what you just dictated. This is valuable because spoken language is messy. People use filler words, repeat themselves, and speak in fragments. Dictating gets ideas down fast; rewriting cleans them up.

Most tools treat these as entirely separate functions. You dictate with one app, then switch to another for rewriting. A few tools combine both steps into a single workflow with separate shortcuts for each stage. Syneli is one example: it handles dictation locally, then offers dedicated shortcuts to clean up, translate, or restyle the result. For users exploring this combined approach, there’s a comparison of dictation-plus-rewriting alternatives worth reading.

Shortcut Conflict (and How to Avoid It)

When two applications or the system itself use the same key combination, one of them won’t work. This is common when setting up custom hotkeys for rewriting selected text on Mac, because popular combinations like ⌘⇧R are already used by browsers (hard refresh in Chrome) and other apps.

A practical hierarchy for avoiding conflicts:

Modifier Pattern	Conflict Risk	Example
⌘ + Letter	High	⌘R (refresh in browsers)
⌘⇧ + Letter	Medium	⌘⇧R (hard refresh)
⌃⇧ + Letter	Low	⌃⇧R (rarely used by macOS)
⌘⌥⇧ + Letter	Very Low	⌘⌥⇧E (almost never claimed)
⌃⌥⌘ + Letter	Very Low	⌃⌥⌘R (RewriteBar’s default)

If your rewrite shortcut stops working in a specific app, it’s almost certainly a conflict. Change either the app’s shortcut or your rewrite shortcut.

Quick-Reference: Common Shortcut Combos by Tool

Tool	Default Shortcut	Type	Notes
Apple Writing Tools	None (must create)	Native	Common custom choice: ⌘⇧.
Apple Proofread (direct)	None (must create)	Native	Practitioner recommendation: ⌃⇧R
RewriteBar	⌃⌥⌘R	Third-party	Opens command menu for instruction
RewriteCmd	⌘⇧R	Third-party	Direct rewrite, customizable
Syneli	Right ⌘ (cleanup), Right ⌘ + Right ⌥ (Professional)	Third-party	Separate shortcuts per tone
TypeFire	Custom (user-defined)	Third-party	BYOK, requires API key setup
DIY Apple Shortcut	Custom (user-defined)	Apple Shortcuts	Requires API configuration

Choosing Your Method

Three paths exist for using hotkeys to rewrite selected text on Mac. Each suits a different type of user.

Start with Apple Intelligence Writing Tools if you have a supported Mac, want zero additional software, and are fine with Apple’s built-in tone options (Friendly, Professional, Concise). Setup takes two minutes in System Settings.

Use a third-party menu bar app if you need faster rewrites, custom tones, specific AI models, or system-wide coverage that goes beyond what Apple offers. This is the most common path for people who rewrite text dozens of times per day.

Build a DIY Apple Shortcut if you want full control over the prompt, the model, and the cost. One practitioner on Medium described building a shortcut that takes “selected text from any app, rephrase it, and replace the original text on the spot.” This path requires comfort with API keys and shortcut configuration.

For most people who want speed and simplicity, a dedicated app is the fastest route. Syneli combines dictation and selected-text rewriting in a single tool, with tone presets mapped to individual key combos and local dictation that works offline.

→ Try Syneli free with 10 AI actions per day, or go Pro for $9.99/mo for unlimited rewrites.

FAQ

Does macOS have a built-in keyboard shortcut for rewriting text?

No. Apple Intelligence Writing Tools is built into macOS Sequoia and later, but it ships without a default keyboard shortcut. You need to create one manually through System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts. Enter “Show Writing Tools” as the menu title and assign your preferred key combination.

Which keyboard shortcut should I use to avoid conflicts?

Control + Shift + Letter combinations (like ⌃⇧R) are the safest. Apple rarely uses Ctrl+Shift in its own system shortcuts. If you want even fewer conflicts, use three modifiers plus a letter, like ⌘⌥⇧E, though that’s harder to press quickly.

Can I rewrite selected text in any Mac app, or just in browsers?

It depends on the tool. Browser extensions only work in web-based text fields. System-wide tools using the macOS Accessibility API work in virtually every Mac application, including Slack, VS Code, Apple Notes, Mail, and more. Apple Intelligence Writing Tools work in most places you write, including third-party apps.

What’s the difference between proofreading and rewriting?

Proofreading corrects errors (spelling, grammar, punctuation) without changing your writing style or structure. Rewriting restructures and rephrases the text, often changing tone, complexity, or format. You can set up separate hotkeys for each if your tool supports it.

Do I need to pay for an API key to use a rewrite hotkey?

Not necessarily. Apple Intelligence Writing Tools is free on supported Macs. Some third-party apps include built-in AI at very low cost (less than $0.001 per rewrite). BYOK apps require your own API key, but $5 in credits typically covers thousands of rewrites. Syneli offers a free tier with local dictation and 10 AI actions per day.

What is the macOS Accessibility API and why does it matter?

It’s the system-level permission that allows third-party apps to read and manipulate text in other applications. When you grant Accessibility access to a rewrite tool, you’re enabling it to detect your selected text and replace it with the rewritten version. Without this permission, the tool can’t interact with text fields outside its own window.

Can I dictate text and then rewrite it with the same tool?

Yes, some tools support this combined workflow. You dictate to get rough text on screen, then use a separate hotkey to clean it up, change its tone, or translate it. This two-step approach is faster than typing and editing separately. Read more about offline dictation options that pair well with rewriting workflows.

Does using a rewrite hotkey send my text to the cloud?

That depends on the tool and configuration. Apple Intelligence processes some requests on-device and some in the cloud. BYOK apps send text to whichever AI provider you’ve configured. Fully local tools process everything on your Mac. If privacy matters, check whether the tool offers on-device processing or read its privacy policy before granting Accessibility access.