Start with a sentence you actually repeat. An email address, a booking link or a short reply is enough to find out whether text expansion fits your day.
This guide uses a plain-text reply and the Free plan. You do not need to create an account, enter a card or start a Pro trial. Typeblast requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Install Typeblast
Open the downloaded disk image, copy Typeblast to your Applications folder, then open it from there. Use the download from typebla.st; you do not need a third-party installer.
The Free plan allows 20 active snippets in total, with unlimited saved snippets and expansions. You can leave other snippets saved but inactive. The optional Pro trial is separate from using Free.
Allow text expansion in other apps
During setup, choose Grant Accessibility. In macOS System Settings, open Privacy & Security, then Accessibility, and enable Typeblast. This permission lets the app replace an abbreviation with your saved text in another app.
Accessibility is a powerful permission. Only enable it for an app you trust. You can revoke it in the same settings screen; expansion in other apps will then stop working.
Create one plain-text snippet
Open the main Typeblast window and choose New Snippet. Give it a title you will recognize, such as “Reply received”. Keep the type set to Plain Text, put your message in Content, and enter ;received in Abbreviation. Check that Enabled is on. Edits save automatically.
;receivedThanks for sending this over. I will take a look and get back to you.Use the reply only when you mean it. If someone needs a deadline, add one before sending. A saved snippet should give you a useful starting point, not make a promise you cannot keep.
The semicolon helps keep the abbreviation distinct from ordinary words. Check that it does not clash with a shortcut you already use in another text-expansion tool.
Try it in a draft
Leave Typeblast running, open an empty draft in a text editor and type ;received. With the Immediate trigger setting, the abbreviation should be replaced when you finish typing it. If you chose After Space/Punctuation in Typeblast settings, type a space after the abbreviation.
Read the result before using the snippet in a real message. Test in the apps where you plan to write; different editors can handle inserted text differently. Do not use a password field as your test.
- If nothing expands, check Typeblast is running and Enable Expansion is on in its menu-bar menu.
- Check the snippet is Enabled, the abbreviation matches what you typed, and the Case sensitive setting matches your typing.
- Confirm Accessibility is enabled for Typeblast, and check whether the trigger requires a space or punctuation.
- Try an ordinary text field in another app. If the issue only happens in one editor, include that app and its version when contacting support.
Add the replies you keep reaching for
Once one snippet works, add a few phrases from your own routine. Keep client names, private links and other sensitive details in your local library. Community groups are public, not private storage or personal cloud sync.
Five client replies to adapt for your own work
Stay on Free while 20 active snippets cover your work. Pro is $2.50/month or $25/year and adds unlimited active snippets, scripting, nested snippets and per-app exclusions. You can decide after using the basics.