Two features in Everwrite use AI: the continuity AI, which reads your story to keep characters, places, and facts consistent, and the name generator, which riffs on names from a short prompt. Both run entirely on your Mac. There is nothing to buy, no account, and no API key to paste in - and your manuscript never leaves the device.

The one thing they need is Apple's on-device model. That model is part of Apple Intelligence, it ships from Apple rather than from Everwrite, and it is downloaded once by macOS itself. This page walks through turning it on and what to expect while it prepares.

What actually gets downloaded

Everwrite does not bundle or download a model of its own. The AI runs on the foundation models built into macOS, so the download is handled by the system, not by the app. A few things worth knowing:

It is a one-time download of a few gigabytes, managed by macOS in the background.
It is shared by every app that uses Apple Intelligence, so if you have already turned Apple Intelligence on, the model is likely on your Mac already and Everwrite's AI will simply work.
Once it has downloaded, everything runs offline. After setup you never need an internet connection for the AI, and nothing is ever sent away.

Before you start

The on-device model has a few requirements, all set by Apple:

An Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later). Intel Macs cannot run the model.
macOS 26.2 or newer, the same baseline Everwrite needs.
Enough free storage for the download - keep a few gigabytes free.
Signed in to your Apple Account, with the system language set to one Apple Intelligence supports.

Turn on Apple Intelligence

If Apple Intelligence is already on, you can skip this - Everwrite's AI is ready. Otherwise:

Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
Select Apple Intelligence & Siri in the sidebar.
Turn on Apple Intelligence. macOS starts downloading the model in the background.
Leave the Mac on and connected while it finishes. You can keep using it - and keep writing in Everwrite - while the download runs.

Apple occasionally moves these controls and renames them between releases, so if the labels differ slightly, look for "Apple Intelligence" in System Settings and follow the on-screen prompt to turn it on.

How you'll know it's ready

You do not have to restart Everwrite or flip anything in its settings. While the model is still downloading, the continuity AI and name generator stay quietly paused; the moment macOS finishes preparing the model, they switch on by themselves. Everything else in Everwrite - the editor, binder, Story Bible, goals, versions, backups, board, and export - works the whole time, with or without the AI.

If a feature says it's unavailable

If the continuity AI or name generator tells you it is not available, the message points to the reason:

"Turn on Apple Intelligence in System Settings" - the model is supported but not switched on yet. Follow the steps above.
"Apple Intelligence is still preparing its on-device model" - the download is in progress. Stay on the internet and give it time; the feature activates automatically when it finishes.
"This Mac doesn't support Apple Intelligence" - the model can't run on this Mac (for example, an Intel Mac). The rest of Everwrite still works fully; only the two AI features are unavailable.

That's the whole setup: turn Apple Intelligence on once, let macOS download the model, and Everwrite's AI takes care of itself from there.