Apple's Writing Tools and an AI keyboard such as Protexter solve overlapping problems: a message that needs fixing, softening or shortening before it goes. They work differently, they run on different iPhones, and each is better at a few things. Here is a fair comparison, with Apple's details taken from Apple's own guide.
What Writing Tools does
According to Apple's guide, Use Writing Tools to write, improve, and summarize content on iPhone, you select the text you want to refine, tap the Writing Tools button, and choose an option. The options include:
- Proofread, for spelling and grammar
- Rewrite, with Friendly, Professional and Concise tones
- Describe a change, where you say what you want changed
- Summarize and Key Points, for the important parts of a longer text
- Compose, which writes new text through the ChatGPT extension
Apple says Writing Tools is available in most places you write, including third-party apps and websites.
Which iPhones. Writing Tools is part of Apple Intelligence, which Apple lists as available on an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later, with the device and Siri language set to a supported language. Apple also notes that Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions.
What an AI keyboard does
An AI keyboard puts its tools in the row above the keys, so they are there before you select anything. Protexter's keyboard has:
- Fix, which corrects spelling, grammar and punctuation and keeps your wording, tone and language
- Rewrite, which turns your draft into warmer, shorter, firmer or more professional versions to pick from
- Shorter, Expand and Continue, to trim a draft, add a sentence of detail, or finish a thought
- Reply and Ask AI, to draft a reply, or to say what you need and get a draft
- Translate, one tap between English and Brazilian Portuguese, with other languages through Ask AI
- A tone flag that warns you while you type about pushy wording or a promise you may not mean
In the app, you can also pin a voice to a contact, so the reply to your manager never sounds like the one to your sister.
Which iPhones. Protexter needs iOS 16.4 or later. Its cloud AI needs Allow Full Access, and third-party AI processing is a separate switch in the app, off by default. On iPhone 15 Pro or later with iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence turned on, some actions can also run on the iPhone itself.
Side by side
- Where it lives. Writing Tools works on text you select, in most places you write. An AI keyboard works in the keyboard, in most apps, although iOS uses its own keyboard in password fields and in apps that refuse custom keyboards.
- Starting point. Writing Tools works on text you have already written, and Compose writes new text. An AI keyboard works on your draft, and Reply and Ask AI start from a message or an instruction.
- Long documents. Writing Tools is built to summarize and pull out key points. A keyboard only sees the text field you are typing in, so it works on the message you are writing.
- Languages. Writing Tools follows Apple Intelligence's supported languages. Protexter's one-tap Translate covers English and Brazilian Portuguese.
- Devices. Writing Tools needs an Apple Intelligence iPhone. Protexter runs on iOS 16.4 or later.
- Where the text goes. Writing Tools is Apple's own feature, under Apple's terms. Protexter sends text to its cloud AI only after you allow it, through companies it names on its consent screen.
- Cost. Writing Tools is built into iOS on supported iPhones. Protexter is a subscription app, and the trial terms are at the end of this page.
When Writing Tools is enough
- You have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, and your language is supported.
- You mostly proofread or adjust the tone of text you have already written.
- You want summaries of long emails or documents.
- You would rather not give a keyboard Full Access.
If that is you, Writing Tools may be all you need, and there is no reason to add anything.
When an AI keyboard is the better fit
- Your iPhone does not support Apple Intelligence. See Writing Tools on an older iPhone.
- You want the tools in the keyboard, without selecting text first.
- You often start from nothing, like "tell her I am ten minutes late".
- You write between English and Brazilian Portuguese.
- You want a different voice for different people.
Using both
They are not either-or. On an Apple Intelligence iPhone you can keep Apple's keyboard and an AI keyboard in your list and switch between them with the globe key: Apple's keyboard when you want Writing Tools for a summary, the AI keyboard when you are replying in a chat. How to add a keyboard on iPhone covers the setup, and What Allow Full Access means for an iPhone keyboard covers the one setting worth reading about first.
A quick way to decide
- Check your model in Settings, General, About. Writing Tools needs an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or an iPhone 16 model or later.
- List the three kinds of message you rewrite most often. Replies and drafts from scratch suit a keyboard. Summaries suit Writing Tools.
- Decide whether you are comfortable allowing Full Access for a keyboard, after reading what it sends.
- If you are, use both for a few days and keep the one you actually reach for.
Whichever you pick, the habit that matters is the same: read the message once more before you send it. Neither tool sends anything for you.