Edit mode & presets
Hold the key for half a second and a command bar opens above your text. One-click presets, or any instruction — previewed first, and nothing changes until you say so.
On this page
Hold the trigger key on its own for about half a second, then let go. A small bar opens just above the field you're writing in (or below it, if there's no room above), and your text stays visible underneath.
The built-in presets
| Preset | What it does | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorten | Noticeably shorter. Keeps every fact, name, number and request; cuts filler and repetition. | ⌘1 | Ctrl+1 |
| Friendly | Warmer, the way a kind colleague would say it. Natural, not gushing. | ⌘2 | Ctrl+2 |
| Formal | Professional enough for a client or manager — full sentences and punctuation, but never stiff. | ⌘3 | Ctrl+3 |
| Fix grammar | Only grammar, spelling and punctuation. Same words, tone and length. | ⌘4 | Ctrl+4 |
| Clearer | Simpler words, better order, one idea per sentence. Same length or shorter. | ⌘5 | Ctrl+5 |
Your own presets sit on a second row, on ⌘6–⌘9 (Ctrl+6–9 on Windows) for the first four. See Your own presets.
Or say what to change
Type any instruction into the bar and press Enter:
shorter, and end with a questionmore formal — this is for the clienttranslate to Hindiadd a thank-you at the start
An instruction wins over your usual style: ask for formal and you get proper capitalisation and full sentences, even if you normally write in lowercase.
Preview, refine, use it
- The result appears in the bar's Preview, labelled with what made it. Your text box hasn't changed yet.
- Keep going — type another instruction or click another preset, and it applies to the latest version. Chain as many as you like.
- Back (⌘Z on Mac, Ctrl+Z on Windows while the instruction box is empty) steps back to the previous version.
- Use it — press Enter on an empty instruction box, press ⌘⏎ / Ctrl+Enter, or click Use it. The result replaces your text.
Esc, or clicking anywhere else, closes the bar and leaves your text exactly as it was.
With text selected
If you select part of your message before holding the key, only the selection is edited — the rest of the message stays put. With a selection you also get the Read actions: Explain, Summarise and Translate. See Explain, summarise & translate.
In an empty field
Open the bar in an empty field and describe what to write — ask Sam if Thursday still works for the review — and Veda writes the message, in your voice, for the app you're in.
Usage
Each preset or instruction you run is one request against your plan. Using the result, going back and closing the bar are free.
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