Getting started
Setting up BlinkWrite takes about a minute. After you install and launch the app, a setup guide walks you through everything: granting two permissions, finishing setup, and signing in.
1. Check the requirements
- macOS 26 or later
- A Mac with Apple silicon
2. Download and install
- Download BlinkWrite from the website.
- Open the downloaded file and drag BlinkWrite into your Applications folder.
- Launch BlinkWrite. A setup window opens automatically. Just follow it to finish getting set up.
3. Follow the setup guide
When you first launch BlinkWrite, a welcome window appears and guides you through the remaining steps. Click Get started and complete each one:
Grant Accessibility
BlinkWrite reads your active chat to give accurate suggestions. It never types or sends anything on its own. Click Open System Settings and turn BlinkWrite on under Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
Grant Screen Recording
Some apps don't share their text with BlinkWrite directly; screen access lets it read those threads. Click Open System Settings and turn BlinkWrite on under Privacy & Security → Screen Recording. After you grant this, BlinkWrite restarts to apply it.
BlinkWrite uses these permissions only to read the text you're working with, not to monitor your screen or track your activity. See Privacy & security.
Setting up
BlinkWrite finishes setting itself up on your Mac. This happens automatically and only takes a moment; when it reaches 100%, click Continue.
Sign in
BlinkWrite needs an account to work. Choose Sign up to start your free trial or Log in if you already have an account. This opens in your browser; once you finish there, the app continues automatically.
Everyone can start on Free, with no payment card required. A Pro trial is a separate choice. See Billing & plans.
You're all set
BlinkWrite confirms setup is complete and starts running. Click Finish to close the guide.
From now on, BlinkWrite lives in the menu bar, not in the Dock. Here's where to look:
The menu bar is the strip at the very top of your screen. On the left:
the Apple menu and app menus. On the right: status icons (Wi-Fi, battery,
the clock, and others). BlinkWrite is the small eye icon
on the right (highlighted
above). Click it to open the menu.
From that menu you can:
- Open Settings
- Pause or resume BlinkWrite for the current app, or across your whole system
- Check your account and subscription
5. Automatic updates
When automatic updates are enabled, BlinkWrite keeps itself up to date in the background. You don't need to download new versions manually.
To turn this on or off, click BlinkWrite's eye icon in the menu bar (top right of your screen), open Settings, and use the automatic updates toggle.
6. Start writing
Open any app and start typing. BlinkWrite works everywhere you write. Suggestions appear automatically in a floating popup next to where you're writing. Press Tab to accept, or keep typing to ignore.
If nothing appears, check Troubleshooting.
To rewrite your current paragraph, double-tap Tab. Choose Shorten, Improve, Formal, Friendly, or Custom below the result. The shortcuts are Shift + 1 through Shift + 5, in that order. Custom opens an instruction field below the modes. Type your instructions in that field. Press Enter to request the rewrite. See the rephrasing guide for examples.