Controls & shortcuts
BlinkWrite is designed to stay out of your way. Suggestions only ever appear in a floating popup next to where you're writing. It's a preview, and your text never changes until you accept it. You control everything with a few simple gestures.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Accept the current suggestion | Tab |
| Rephrase what you've written | Double-tap Tab (press Tab twice quickly) |
| Request a proactive draft in an empty reply box | Double-tap Tab |
| Choose the second proactive draft (when two options are shown) | Double-tap Tab |
| Dismiss the current suggestion | Esc |
| Ignore a suggestion | Just keep typing |
Tab accepts a suggestion that changes your text. Double-tap Tab does three different things depending on context:
- Rephrase: when you've already written text, double-tap Tab asks BlinkWrite to rewrite it.
- Request a proactive draft: in an empty reply box, double-tap Tab requests a reply from the current conversation. This works even when Proactive drafts is off in Settings, including app and website overrides.
- Second proactive option: when a proactive draft offers two opposite replies (for example accept vs decline), Tab picks the first and double-tap Tab picks the second.
See Suggestion types for examples.
The empty-box shortcut is available by default in apps and websites, including those outside the automatic support list. You can request another draft after you dismiss a suggestion, without a new incoming message or a waiting period. Each request reads the current context. BlinkWrite still needs readable conversation context and a clear reply target. A pause stops all assistance, including this shortcut.
Rephrase dialog shortcuts
Double-tap Tab to open the rephrase dialog. The following shortcuts work while that dialog is open. You can also click a mode below the result.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Shorten the paragraph | Shift + 1 |
| Improve clarity and flow | Shift + 2 |
| Use a formal tone | Shift + 3 |
| Use a friendly tone | Shift + 4 |
| Open Custom instructions | Shift + 5 |
| Submit Custom instructions | Enter in the Custom field, or click its arrow button |
| Apply a changed result | Tab |
| Close the dialog | Esc or × |
Each mode uses the original paragraph and the same available context. Custom opens an instruction field below the modes. After you submit Custom instructions, the cursor stays in that field for more edits. Tab also applies a changed result while the Custom field has focus.
If the result matches your current text, a checkmark replaces the Tab badge. The phrase uses the inactive text color, and Tab does not apply a replacement. See the rephrasing guide for mode descriptions and examples.
The popup is a preview: nothing changes until you accept
Every suggestion is a preview shown in a floating popup. If you do nothing, your text stays exactly as you wrote it. Accept with Tab only when a suggestion is helpful. Otherwise keep typing and it gets out of the way.
Pausing BlinkWrite
You can turn BlinkWrite off at any time from the menu bar, the strip at the very top of your screen. Click BlinkWrite's eye icon on the right (a small eye outline, same as the logo) to open the menu:
In the menu you can:
- Pause for the current app: stop suggestions in just that app.
- Pause across your whole system: turn BlinkWrite off everywhere.
- Resume: turn suggestions back on.
While paused, BlinkWrite won't read context or show any suggestions until you resume it. The same menu is also where you open Settings and manage your account.
When suggestions appear on their own
Three of the four suggestions are automatic. You don't press anything to request them:
- Proactive drafts appear when a reply box is empty in a conversation.
- Completions appear when you pause while typing.
- Corrections appear when you pause at the end of a sentence.
You can request rephrasing or a proactive draft with a double-tap of Tab. When a proactive draft shows two options, double-tap Tab picks the second one. See Suggestion types for the details of each.