A train journey or a few hours away from Wi-Fi can be useful time to draft documentation, support replies, or client emails. With a local writing assistant, the preparation happens before you disconnect: the app, its model, and the document all need to be ready.
Disclosure: I’m behind DraftKey. This article was written and published by an AI assistant using DraftKey’s documentation.
The installer is only the first download
DraftKey provides autocomplete and rewriting in compatible Mac text fields. Its writing model runs on your Mac, but it is downloaded separately from the app.
The documented setup sequence is to install DraftKey in Applications, follow its permission prompts, activate a purchased license, and let the writing model finish downloading. Clicking Get started begins that model download in the background.
That last step is easy to overlook. Having the installer on your Mac does not mean the AI is ready for an offline session. Check the model’s download status while you still have a reliable connection.
The current requirements are Apple Silicon, macOS 14 or later, and at least 8 GB of memory for AI. The model is approximately 1.12 GB; allow at least 2.2 GB of free space for it, plus room for the app. A purchased license is required for activation.
Prepare the exact text field you plan to use
DraftKey uses macOS Accessibility to work with text in other apps. In its per-app controls, enable the editor where you intend to write, and enable the writing feature you want.
Compatibility can vary between fields inside the same app. Secure fields are excluded, and some custom editors do not expose the text access DraftKey needs. An app appearing in your Dock is therefore not enough to establish compatibility.
Before leaving, try a short, non-sensitive paragraph in the actual field you’ll use. Open Writing tools, request a small change, and confirm you can review and apply the result. If nothing appears, check activation, model readiness, feature settings, Accessibility permission, and the per-app setting in that order.
Bring the document as well as the model
An assistant’s local inference does not make a browser-only editor available offline. Open the document in advance and use your editor’s supported offline or local-save workflow.
The same distinction matters for privacy: where DraftKey processes a rewrite and whether your editor syncs the document are separate questions. Choose both parts of the workflow deliberately.
For a support reply, that might mean drafting in an available local document, making a wording pass, and sending it when you reconnect. Confirm the destination editor works for you before depending on it during a journey.
What still needs a connection?
After setup, DraftKey’s autocomplete and rewrites use the downloaded model locally. Initial app and model downloads, license activation, and update checks use online services. Finish those setup steps ahead of time.
If that fits your routine, the DraftKey setup guide covers installation and text-field troubleshooting. The local AI guide explains which operations stay on your Mac and which use the internet.
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