Questions and answers

The basics

What is Private Writing Assistant?

A free Chrome extension that checks spelling and grammar and rewrites text in 101 languages, using Chrome Built-in AI on your own device. It underlines mistakes as you type, fixes them in one click, and rewrites a selection in one of eight styles.

Is it free?

Yes. There is no paid plan, no trial and no ads.

Do I need an account?

No. Install it and it works. There is nothing to sign up for or log in to.

Which browsers does it work in?

Google Chrome 138 or newer on Windows, macOS, Linux and Chromebook Plus. It needs Chrome Built-in AI, so it does not run in other browsers or on phones.

Does it work offline?

Yes, once the AI model is downloaded. Checking and rewriting run on your computer, so they keep working without an internet connection. Only the one-time model download needs one.

Which languages does it check?

101 languages, from English, Spanish and German to Hindi, Arabic, Japanese and Swahili. It tells Brazilian and European Portuguese apart and keeps your variant's spelling. The extension's menus are available in 33 languages.

Can I mix languages in one message?

Yes. It recognizes the language of every sentence and checks each one in its own language, so an email in English and German gets both parts corrected.

Privacy

Is my text sent anywhere?

No. What you write on websites is checked by Chrome Built-in AI on your device. It is never sent to us, to an AI service or to anyone else, and it is not used to train any model.

Does anything leave my device?

Two things, and neither contains the text you write on websites: usage stats (which features you use, the website's name such as mail.google.com, Chrome's language, the language checked, the extension version and a random ID), and feedback you choose to send through the “Send feedback” form. The privacy policy lists every detail.

Can I turn off usage stats?

Yes. Use the “Share usage stats” switch at the bottom of the extension's settings page. Turning it off stops all sending and deletes the random ID.

Can I use it for confidential or client documents?

Your text is checked on your device and is not uploaded to us or to an AI service, so no copy of it ends up on someone else's server. Whether that meets your organization's rules is for your organization to decide.

Does it work in Incognito windows?

Yes, once you allow the extension in Incognito in Chrome's extension settings. The extension's menu links straight to that setting.

Where it works

Where can I use it?

In text boxes and editors on websites: email such as Gmail and Outlook on the web, Google Docs and Google Slides, social networks, chat apps, comment fields and rich text editors.

Does it work in Google Docs?

Yes. Google Docs is checked page by page as you scroll. Each page on screen gets its own badge with the number of mistakes on that page and its own Fix all.

Where doesn't it work?

It skips password and email fields, code editors and formulas in Google Sheets, and it does not reach apps outside Chrome, such as desktop Word, or PDFs. Rewrite works everywhere it checks except Google Slides.

Can I turn it off on one website?

Yes. Turn checking off for the current session or always on a particular website, and turn it back on from the settings page. A switch in the menu turns checking on or off everywhere.

Features

How do I fix a mistake?

Click an underlined word to see the suggestion, then click it to apply, or dismiss it. To fix everything in a field, hover the badge in its corner and press Fix all. To fix only part of your text, select it and press “Fix errors”.

What does Rewrite do?

Select a sentence or a paragraph, press Rewrite and pick a style: Improve, Fluent, Professional, Friendly, Academic, Simpler, Shorter or Expand. Changes are highlighted. Replace your text in one click (and undo it), copy the new version, or try again. Rewrites stay in the language you wrote in.

Can it look up a word?

Yes. Double-click a word in a text field to see its definition and synonyms.

Requirements and setup

What does my computer need?

Chrome 138 or newer on Windows 10 or 11, macOS 13 or newer, Linux or a Chromebook Plus, 22 GB of free disk space, and either a graphics card with more than 4 GB of memory or 16 GB of RAM. Will it run on my computer? explains how to check.

Why does it need 22 GB of free disk space?

That is Chrome's requirement for Chrome Built-in AI, not ours. The model download itself is a few gigabytes, and Chrome may remove the model again if your disk gets too full.

It says “On-device AI is unavailable”. What now?

Chrome reports that this computer or profile can't run its built-in model yet. The extension's menu and settings page show the steps to try, and Will it run on my computer? explains each requirement.

How long does the download take?

It happens once and is a few gigabytes, so it depends on your connection. Chrome needs an unmetered connection for it. You can keep browsing, and checking starts by itself when the download finishes.