How autocomplete suggestions work

As you type, Typeahead suggests the rest of your sentence in grey, right at your cursor. Press Tab to take it, the right arrow to take one word, or keep typing to ignore it.

Made on your Mac#

Every suggestion comes from an AI model on your Mac, run by Typeahead's own engine, built to be fast and light. Nothing waits on a server, and Typeahead never sends your writing to a server.

What it uses#

• The text near your cursor, in the field you're typing in.
• The window you're in. Window context reads the visible text of the window, like the messages in a chat or the email you're answering, so a reply can pick up the names and times already there. Buttons, timestamps and sidebars are cleaned out, and your own draft is never fed back in. It's on by default.
• What you just copied, only if you turn on clipboard context in Settings › Advanced. It's off until you do.
• What it has learned. Lines you write often come back after two words.
• The writing style for the app. Each app can have its own tone.

When and how much it suggests#

Settings › General has five controls for suggestions, including these three, and each writing style can set its own:

• Timing: Instant shows suggestions as you type. Balanced, the default, keeps a smooth, natural pace. Relaxed waits until you pause.
• Frequency: Fewer, Standard or More sets how sure Typeahead has to be before it offers anything. When it isn't sure, it stays quiet.
• Length: Short is a word or two, Medium (the default) a few words, Long up to a short sentence, and Very Long a full sentence or more.

When you finish a sentence, the next one is ready. To have it wait until you start the next sentence, switch off Automatically continue the next sentence.

What it looks like#

The suggestion sits right at your cursor, in the app's own font and size. Where an app won't allow that, it shows in a small bubble instead. Change its color, opacity and weight in Settings › Display.

When a suggestion is wrong#

Keep typing. Letters that match are taken from the suggestion, and different ones steer it somewhere new. Or press Esc. Nothing goes in until you accept it.

Does it get better over time?#

Yes. Typeahead learns on your Mac. Write a line three times and it's learned: start it again and two words bring the rest back. Your usual phrasing also nudges how other suggestions read. See or forget anything it has learned in Settings › Learning. More on how learning works.