Writing Tools missing from the right-click menu on your Mac

Why it happens

Writing Tools is part of Apple Intelligence, so it only appears once Apple Intelligence is on and has finished downloading. It also needs a Mac with Apple silicon and a supported language. Some apps don't offer it, so the menu item can be missing in one app and present in another.

How to fix it

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings. Writing Tools needs a Mac with Apple silicon, so it never appears on an Intel Mac.

2. On macOS 26, click Apple Intelligence & Siri and turn on Apple Intelligence. On macOS 27, click Siri: Apple Intelligence comes with Siri there, with no separate switch.

   macOS 26 Tahoe Apple Intelligence & Siri›Apple Intelligence

   macOS 27 Golden Gate Siri

3. Give it a little while. The first time, your Mac downloads what it needs, and it's quicker plugged in and on Wi-Fi.

4. Open an app that supports it, such as Notes, Mail or TextEdit. Select some text, Control-click it and choose Writing Tools, then Show Writing Tools to see Proofread, Rewrite and the rest.

On macOS 26 the switch is Apple Intelligence in Apple Intelligence & Siri settings. On macOS 27 the settings page is called Siri, and Apple Intelligence comes with Siri without a separate switch.

Still not fixed?

1. Apple Intelligence missing or dimmed? Set your Mac's language and the Siri language to the same supported language, for example English for both.

   macOS 26 Tahoe Apple Intelligence & Siri›Language

   macOS 27 Golden Gate Siri›Language

2. Your Mac's own language is the top one in the list in Language & Region settings. Drag the language you want to the top, or change Siri's language to match it.

   General›Language & Region

3. Check for a macOS update in Software Update. Apple Intelligence features arrive and improve with updates.

   General›Software Update

4. Still nothing in one app? Try the same text in Notes or TextEdit. If Writing Tools shows there, the first app doesn't support it yet.

5. Apple Intelligence also isn't available in some countries or regions, on Macs started from an external disk, or on some managed work Macs. If none of that applies and it still won't appear, contact Apple Support.