How is Rewrite different from Summarize?

Rewrite keeps the same length and meaning but improves the phrasing. Summarize makes the text shorter by cutting detail. Use Rewrite to say something better, Summarize to say it in fewer words.

Can I control the tone of the rewrite?

The Rewrite transform improves clarity and phrasing. To experiment with tone, switch the AI model or provider in settings, since different models have different default writing styles.

Does my text leave my Mac?

Only the specific clip you run the transform on is sent to your configured AI provider. Your clipboard history stays local with no cloud backend and no account.

What does it cost to rewrite text?

ClipHistory is a one-time $19.99 purchase. Rewriting uses your own AI provider key, so you pay that provider directly for usage.

Rewrite Copied Text on macOS with AI

Rewriting is the part of writing that eats the most time: you have a sentence that says the right thing but says it awkwardly. An AI rewrite tool fixes phrasing fast — and the most efficient place to run it is on the clipboard, because the text you want to rewrite is usually something you just copied.

This guide explains how to rewrite copied text on macOS with ClipHistory, a clipboard manager with AI transforms that runs locally on your Mac.

Why rewrite from the clipboard

Most rewrite tools live in a separate app or website. You copy text, switch over, paste, wait, copy the output, and switch back. A clipboard manager collapses that loop. ClipHistory keeps your 150 most recent unpinned clips (plus unlimited pinned ones) and lets you run AI transforms — including Rewrite — directly on any of them.

How to rewrite a clip

1. Copy the text

Copy the sentence or paragraph you want to improve. It can come from anywhere: an email draft, a Slack message, a doc, a code comment.

2. Open ClipHistory

Press Cmd+Shift+V. Your history appears with the newest clip at the top.

3. Run the Rewrite transform

Select the clip and choose Rewrite. ClipHistory sends it to your configured AI provider and returns a cleaner version as a new clip.

4. Paste the result

The rewritten text is on your clipboard. Press Cmd+V to drop it back where you were working.

What "rewrite" actually does

The Rewrite transform asks the model to express the same meaning more clearly. In practice that means:

Smoothing awkward phrasing without changing the point.
Tightening run-on sentences into readable ones.
Fixing grammar and word choice as a side effect of the rewrite.

If your goal is specifically shorter text, use the Summarize transform instead. If it's specifically about removing formatting junk, use Clean. Rewrite is for "say this better."

Bring your own AI provider

ClipHistory connects to five providers — Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, or a custom endpoint — using your own API key. You choose the model, you pay the provider directly, and you control where your text goes. There's no ClipHistory account and no cloud service in the middle; your clipboard history lives on the Mac, and only the clip you choose to transform is sent to your provider.

Picking a model for rewriting

Different models have different writing styles. If rewrites come back too formal or too loose, switch providers or models in settings and compare. Because you're using your own key, experimenting costs only what your provider charges.

Workflow ideas

Polish before you send. Draft fast and sloppy, copy, rewrite, paste. Your first draft never has to be your final draft.
Standardize tone across a team. Rewrite quick replies into the voice you want before posting.
Save winning phrasings as snippets. When a rewrite nails a recurring message, store it as a snippet so you reuse it instantly without another AI call.
Build a paste stack. Queue several clips, rewrite each, and paste them in order into a longer document.

Keeping rewrites organized

Frequent rewrites can flood your history. Two features help:

Pinned clips survive past the 150-clip rolling window, so an important rewritten block stays available.
Boards let you group related clips — for example, all the rewritten sections of a single document — so you can find them later.

Requirements

ClipHistory needs macOS 12 or later and ships as a universal binary native to Apple Silicon and Intel. It's signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens cleanly through Gatekeeper.

Summary

To rewrite copied text on macOS, open ClipHistory with Cmd+Shift+V, select the clip, and run the Rewrite transform using your own AI key. The improved text returns to your clipboard for an immediate paste — no app switching, no account, and your data stays local except for the clip you deliberately send to your provider.

Ready to put AI to work on your clipboard? Get ClipHistory for macOS ($19.99) — a one-time payment, 12-month license, no auto-renewal. Signed and notarized by Apple, runs on Apple Silicon and Intel, and everything stays local on your Mac.