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AI Rewrite Selected Text on Mac with OnText

· 2 min read
gityeop
gityeop
Creator of OnText

OnText lets you rewrite selected text on Mac without copying it into a separate chat window. Select the text, open the OnText panel, ask Inline AI what to do, then replace the original text or copy the result.

This workflow is designed for writing, support replies, notes, documentation, and any place where the cost of switching apps interrupts the work.

How The Workflow Works​

  1. Select text in your current Mac app.
  2. Press your OnText hotkey, F2 by default.
  3. Open Inline AI from the panel.
  4. Type a prompt such as Make this clearer or Rewrite this in a concise support tone.
  5. Use Command-R to replace the selected text, or Command-C to smart copy the AI response.

OnText automatically appends the selected text to the prompt. If you need precise placement, use the {text} placeholder in the prompt.

Useful Rewrite Prompts​

Try these as prompt presets:

Make this shorter while keeping the main point.
Rewrite this in a clear, professional tone.
Fix grammar and keep the original meaning.
Turn this into a concise bullet list.

Prompt presets are useful when you repeat the same rewrite task every day. See the Inline AI guide for provider setup and preset management.

Provider And Privacy Notes​

OnText supports Inline AI providers including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Ollama. Core local actions run on your Mac, but selected text is sent to the configured cloud AI provider when you choose a cloud AI action.

If you want local AI processing, use Ollama. That keeps the AI workflow on your machine, subject to the local model you configure.

When This Is Useful​

Use OnText Inline AI when you want to:

  • Rewrite an email without leaving the mail app.
  • Summarize selected research notes.
  • Make a rough paragraph more polished.
  • Convert selected prose into a checklist.
  • Replace selected text with the AI result in place.

For non-AI workflows, OnText also supports URL actions, shell scripts, AppleScript, and macOS Shortcuts.

Next Steps​