Punto Switcher for Mac: what happened to it, and what to use instead

What Punto Switcher does, and why people miss it

Punto Switcher watches what you type and notices when the letters make no sense in the current layout but form a real word in the other one. Type ghbdtn on an English layout and it recognizes привет, switches the keyboard to Russian, and retypes the word for you. A hotkey converts the last word or a selection on demand. For anyone who writes Russian and English all day it quietly removed a hundred small interruptions — which is why one of the first things people search for after buying a Mac is "Punto Switcher for Mac".

What happened on the Mac

There was a Mac build: Yandex announced Punto Switcher for Mac OS X back in 2009. It hasn't kept pace since. The old build isn't maintained, wasn't built for Apple silicon, and predates the permission model modern macOS uses for apps that read and replace text. If you find a copy on a download site, treat it as abandonware: at best it won't launch, at worst you're installing an unsigned, unmaintained keyboard tool from a third-party mirror.

So the practical question isn't "where do I download Punto Switcher for Mac". It's "what does the same job on macOS today".

The alternatives on macOS

1. What macOS gives you for free

macOS can remember a layout per document and gives you shortcuts to switch by hand, but it never looks at the words you type — nothing switches automatically. Every built-in option is covered in How to switch keyboard language automatically on Mac.

2. Caramba Switcher

Caramba Switcher is the spiritual successor most Punto users find first. It's on the Mac App Store, auto-switches between Russian and English, fixes the last word with a double press of Shift, and adds typo correction for those two languages. It's deliberately minimal, with almost no settings. If Russian and English are the only languages you ever type, it's worth a look; check its App Store listing for current pricing.

3. Unfumble

Unfumble takes the same idea further. It detects the language you meant and rewrites the word in place, usually before you finish typing it, then switches the input source so the next keystrokes are already right. It works across fourteen languages — English, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Greek, Armenian, Georgian, Hindi and Thai — and between any of the ones you've enabled. It learns which language you write in each app and website, knows the difference between a command in a terminal and a name in a chat, and runs entirely on your Mac. It's free for your first 100 fixed words, then a one-time $14.99 for up to two Macs.

4. On-demand converters

Raycast extensions, Shortcuts, and websites that convert a selected chunk of wrong-layout text are a fine safety net if the mix-up only happens occasionally. They don't switch anything for you, and the web ones mean pasting your text into someone else's site.

Side by side

Switching over from Punto: what changes

• The convert key. Punto users are used to one key that flips the last word. In Unfumble the word is usually fixed before you need that; when you do, select the text and press the global shortcut, or right-click and choose Unfumble from the Services menu.
• Permissions. macOS asks for Accessibility access once. That's the single permission any app needs to read and replace text in place — no contacts, files, or camera. What that permission really allows is its own guide.
• Exceptions. Words in the "wrong" alphabet that you actually meant — a product name, a login, slang — are learned per app after you undo a correction once.
• More than two languages. If you also type Ukrainian, Hebrew or anything else on the list, the same engine covers it. No second tool.

Frequently asked questions

Is Punto Switcher available for Mac?

An old macOS build exists, but it isn't maintained and wasn't built for Apple silicon. In practice, treat it as discontinued and use a maintained switcher instead.

Does Punto Switcher work on M1, M2, M3 or M4 Macs?

Not reliably. The last Mac build predates Apple silicon and the current macOS permission model for apps that read and replace text.

Is there a free automatic layout switcher for Mac?

macOS's own per-document memory is free but never detects what you type. Unfumble is free for the first 100 fixed words with every feature on, and a one-time purchase after that.

Does Unfumble support Russian and Ukrainian?

Yes, both, alongside twelve other languages. Each language is used only if it's enabled as a macOS input source, so it never switches you to a layout you can't type.