Most AI writing tools have the same hidden tax.
You stop writing, copy the text, open a chat window, paste it, explain what you want, copy the answer, then paste it back into the app where you were originally working.
That is fine for a big draft. It is annoying for the tiny moments that happen all day:
- make this email less awkward
- finish this sentence
- shorten this Slack reply
- clean up this paragraph
- make this note sound less messy
I wanted that help inside the Mac text field I was already using.
So I built DraftKey, a native Mac app for private, on-device AI autocomplete and rewriting in compatible macOS text fields: https://www.getdraftkey.com/
The real problem is not just writing
The problem is context switching.
When I am writing an email, I do not want to move the draft into another app unless I really need a full conversation. Most of the time I already know what I mean. I just want the wording to get cleaner, shorter, warmer, or more direct.
Autocomplete is similar. If I am halfway through a sentence, opening a separate AI chat breaks the flow more than it helps.
The ideal version feels closer to spellcheck than chat. It appears where I type, helps when useful, and gets out of the way when I keep writing.
Why local AI matters here
A lot of everyday writing is private by default.
Client emails, internal notes, half-formed thoughts, personal messages, support replies, strategy notes, and rough drafts are not always things people want to paste into a cloud tool.
Cloud AI is powerful, and I still think it is useful. But writing assistance has a different privacy expectation when it is watching the text field you are actively editing.
DraftKey runs the writing model on the Mac for autocomplete and rewriting. The setup still needs the internet for things like license activation, app updates, and the initial model download, but the writing help itself is designed around local inference.
That is the tradeoff I wanted: less cloud dependency for the small writing improvements that happen constantly.
macOS text fields are not magic
The honest limitation is that this kind of app depends on macOS Accessibility.
Some text fields expose enough information for a helper app to read the relevant text, show a suggestion, and apply a rewrite. Some do not. Secure fields should not be touched. Some custom editors use their own text systems and can behave differently.
So the right promise is not “works everywhere.” That would be dishonest.
The right promise is closer to: works inside compatible macOS text fields, with clear limits, while keeping the user in control.
That is less flashy, but it is the reality of building a native Mac utility instead of a web editor.
What I think AI writing tools should feel like
For small writing tasks, I think the best UX is:
- Stay in the current app.
- Select text or keep typing.
- Ask for a rewrite or autocomplete.
- Review the suggestion.
- Accept it only if it helps.
The important part is review. I do not want an AI tool silently replacing my writing. I want a fast second pass that I can accept, ignore, or edit.
That makes the tool useful without making it feel like it owns the draft.
The weird bonus: keyboard sounds
DraftKey also includes mechanical keyboard typing sounds.
That is not the productivity thesis. It is just fun. Some people like typing sounds. Some people hate them. I wanted it optional and separate from the AI features.
The serious part is local autocomplete and rewriting. The keyboard sounds are there because writing tools are allowed to feel good too.
Who this is for
DraftKey is for Mac users who write a lot and do not want every small edit to become a trip through a browser tab.
The best fit is probably:
- developers writing issues, PRs, docs, and support replies
- founders writing emails and product updates
- freelancers writing client messages
- privacy-conscious users who avoid cloud writing tools for sensitive drafts
- people who like native Mac utilities more than giant web apps
It requires macOS 14+, Apple Silicon, and enough memory for local AI features. There is also an initial model download.
If your main need is a full chat assistant, use a full chat assistant. DraftKey is meant for the smaller, more frequent job: helping with the text already in front of you.
That is the workflow I wanted on my Mac, so I built it.
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