The Best Apps to Change the Tone of a Message Before You Send It (iPhone, 2026)
Short answer: select the message and run it through a tone rewriter before you send it. On a newer iPhone, Apple Writing Tools does Friendly, Professional or Concise for free. Grammarly and Wordtune rewrite for tone from their keyboards (Grammarly's tone changes are Pro). TextAI's Change tone tool takes any tone you can describe, like "warm but still firm," and also has one-tap tools such as Make formal and Make sassy, from a keyboard in iMessage, WhatsApp and Gmail.
App details come from each app's official pages on October 2, 2026, linked below. We make TextAI.
Why tone goes wrong in text
In person, your face and voice soften a blunt sentence. In a message, the words carry all of it, and short messages read colder than they were meant. The fix is rarely to change what you say; it is to change how it arrives.
| You wrote | It can read as | Better |
|---|---|---|
| send me the file now | Annoyed, bossy | Could you send me the file when you get a chance? |
| fine. | Upset | Sounds good, see you then! |
| I need this by Friday. You've missed the last two deadlines. | Accusing | Could we lock this in for Friday? The last couple of dates slipped and I want to make sure we're set this time. |
| can you send me the file when you get a sec | Fine for a friend, casual for a client | Could you send me the file when you have a moment? |
The apps compared
| App | Tone options | Where it works | Free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Writing Tools | Friendly, Professional, Concise | Most apps, built into iOS | Yes, on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or later |
| Grammarly | Tone detection; tone rewrites | Keyboard in any app | Detection free, tone changes on Pro |
| Wordtune | Tone and length on rewrites | Keyboard in any app | 10 rewrites a day free |
| TextAI | Any tone you describe, plus one-tap tone tools | Keyboard in any app | A few free generations, then Pro |
| ChatGPT | Anything you prompt | In its own app only | Free tier with limits |
Apple Writing Tools
Select text, open Writing Tools, choose Friendly, Professional or Concise. Free and fast, limited to three tones and to Apple Intelligence iPhones.
Grammarly
The keyboard tells you how your draft sounds before you send it, which is useful on its own. According to Grammarly's plans page, adjusting the tone is part of Pro.
Wordtune
Wordtune rewrites a sentence with tone and length controls; the free plan includes 10 rewrites a day.
TextAI
Change tone takes the tone in plain words ("make it sound like I'm not angry", "confident but not cocky") and keeps the facts, the ask and the deadline. There are also one-tap tools for the common cases: Make formal, Make sassy, Sound like an expert, Sound like a Gen Z, Simplify sentences and Humanize AI text. All of them run from the TextAI keyboard, so the rewrite replaces your draft in the chat. For messages you have not written yet, Reply drafts the answer in the tone you ask for.
Limits: iPhone only, iOS 17 or later; a few free generations, then Pro.
ChatGPT
The ChatGPT app can rewrite in any tone, but you copy the message out of the chat and paste the answer back.
How to change the tone yourself
If you would rather not use an app, these four edits do most of the work:
- Turn commands into questions. "Send it" becomes "Could you send it?"
- Add the reason. "I need it by Friday so I can review it before Monday" sounds cooperative; "I need it by Friday" sounds like an order.
- Remove blame words. "You missed" becomes "it slipped".
- Match their length. A three-line reply to a one-word text reads as intense; a one-word reply to a long message reads as cold.
Related
FAQ
What app changes the tone of a text message?
On iPhone, Apple Writing Tools rewrites selected text as Friendly, Professional or Concise on Apple Intelligence devices. Grammarly and Wordtune rewrite for tone from their keyboards; on Grammarly that is a Pro feature. TextAI's Change tone tool takes any tone you describe, such as 'firm but not angry', from a keyboard that works in iMessage and WhatsApp.
How do I make a work email sound less rude?
Keep the facts and the ask, and change three things: add a reason, turn the command into a question, and remove words that assign blame. 'I need this by Friday. You've missed the last two deadlines.' becomes 'Could we lock this in for Friday? The last couple of dates slipped and I want to make sure we're set this time.'
Can I describe the tone in my own words?
In TextAI and ChatGPT, yes: an instruction like 'make it sound like I'm not angry' works. Apple Writing Tools offers three fixed tones, and Grammarly and Wordtune offer preset tone options.
Does changing the tone change what I said?
It should not. A good tone rewrite keeps every fact, date and request and only changes how it is delivered. Read the result once before sending, and regenerate if a detail disappeared.