How to copy text from an image or anywhere on your Mac screen

Text in a screenshot, a video, a PDF that won’t select, an app that won’t let you copy — grab it anyway.

Short answer

macOS Live Text copies text from photos and images in Apple apps. MacFixes copies text from any area of the screen, in any app, with one shortcut.

What macOS gives you

Live Text lets you select text in images in Photos, Preview, Safari and Quick Look, and in paused video in some Apple apps. For text elsewhere on screen, you can take a screenshot (⇧⌘4) and open it in Preview to select the text. That takes several steps each time.

How MacFixes fixes it

  1. 1
    Add the fix
    Open MacFixes Settings → Everyday and add “Copy text from the screen”. Fixes are off until you add them.
  2. 2
    Allow Screen Recording
    macOS asks for Screen Recording so MacFixes can read the area you select. Text is recognised on your Mac, offline.
  3. 3
    Press ⌃⇧⌘T
    Drag over the text you want. It’s on your clipboard, ready to paste.
This is one of 28 fixes in MacFixes.
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Questions

Does it work offline?

Yes. Recognition happens on your Mac, offline.

More fixes macOS doesn’t give you

Pick a colour from your screen›See your clipboard history›Paste without formatting›