RefineIQ
Add to Chrome

Guide

From install to your first refined prompt in two minutes.

Everything below is optional after step three — RefineIQ is built to disappear until you need it. If you get stuck, the store listing and FAQ cover the details.

Step 01

Add RefineIQ to Chrome

Install from the Chrome Web Store — one click, no account, nothing to sign up for. RefineIQ works on Chrome and Chromium browsers (Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, Arc) on desktop; Chrome 113 or newer is required — it's also the WebGPU baseline for the fast on-device path.

Add to Chrome — free

Step 02

Set up the on-device model

Open the RefineIQ popup from the toolbar and click Set up model. This is a one-time, consented download (~380 MB; a lighter ~130 MB tier is available in Settings). The model is cached locally — from then on RefineIQ runs entirely in your browser and works fully offline. When the status reads Model ready, you're set.

The RefineIQ popup with the provider set to on-device and the Model ready status showing

Step 03

Select text and refine

On ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — or any site with a text box — write your rough draft, then select it. A Refine pill glides in right where you're working. Click it, or press ⌥⇧R / Alt+Shift+R to refine the selection (or the whole focused field when nothing is selected).

Selected text in a webpage field with the RefineIQ Refine pill appearing next to it

Step 04

Review and replace

The pill morphs into a result panel with your clearer prompt — intent preserved, no invented facts, under 500 characters. Hit Replace to write it back into the field, or Copy if you'd rather paste it yourself. Your original stays one Esc away.

The in-page result panel showing the refined prompt with Replace and Copy actions

Step 05

Or just say it — Voice Draft

Focus any prompt field and tap the Voice pill (or press ⌥⇧V / Alt+Shift+V). Speak your rough draft — a live waveform and growing transcript show it's hearing you — then just stop talking; ~3 seconds of silence finishes hands-free. The transcript lands at your cursor pre-selected, so Refine is one tap away. Speech is transcribed entirely on your device; the first use walks you through a one-time microphone permission and speech-model download.

A prompt field with the RefineIQ Voice pill recording, showing a live waveform and transcript

Step 06

When a site fights back — the scratchpad

Some editors resist automatic replacement. The popup scratchpad always works: open RefineIQ from the toolbar, type or paste your draft, refine, and copy the result. It auto-focuses when the model is ready, and the mic lives there too.

The RefineIQ popup scratchpad with a draft and its refined result below

Step 07

Optional: bring your own key

Prefer a larger model? In Settings → Provider, pick OpenRouter or Hugging Face, paste your own API key, and grant explicit consent. From then on your prompt goes over HTTPS directly to that provider with your key — never through a RefineIQ server. Cloud stays off until you turn it on, and your key is stored locally, shown only as its last four characters.

RefineIQ settings showing cloud provider selection, API key field, and the consent toggle

Good to know

Per-site control

Turn RefineIQ off for specific sites under Settings → Sites — it stays out of the way everywhere you don't want it.

Shortcuts & themes

Toggle the keyboard shortcut or Voice Draft under Settings → Behavior; pick system, light, or dark under Appearance.

Leaving? Clean exit.

Uninstalling removes everything — settings, keys, and the model cache. Or clear the key and revoke consent individually in Settings.

That's the whole manual.

Add to Chrome