Copy Text from the Screen on Mac (OCR)

How Copy Text works

Press ⌥⇧⌘T. Already selected an area? Press ⌘T on the island instead.
Drag over the text you want.
Paste it anywhere with ⌘V.

That’s it: no screenshot file, no extra app to open.

Where it helps

Videos and screen shares: grab a quote from a paused video or the action items from a slide.
Error dialogs: copy the exact message to search for it or send it to support.
PDFs and images: pull text out of a scan or a PDF that won’t let you select it.
Code: code keeps its indentation, and tables keep their shape.

Private by design

Text recognition runs on your Mac with the system’s own engine. Nothing is uploaded, and there’s no account.

English and Spanish

Copy Text reads both English and Spanish, accents included, and the whole app is available in both languages.

Want the picture too?

Take a normal capture with ⌥⇧1, mark it up with the tools that rise under your selection, and press Return to copy the image. If it shows private details, turn on auto-blur (off by default) and emails and API keys get blurred for you.

FAQ

How do I copy text from a screenshot on Mac?

With Frostshot, skip the screenshot: press ⌥⇧⌘T, drag over the text, and it’s on your clipboard as text.

Does it work on videos and PDFs?

Yes. Copy Text works on anything on screen, including paused videos, PDFs and error dialogs.

Does Frostshot upload my screen to read the text?

No. Text recognition runs on your Mac and nothing leaves it.

Does code keep its formatting?

Yes. Code keeps its indentation, and tables keep their shape.

Which languages does it read?

English and Spanish, accents included.

More comparisons and guides

Frostshot is coming soon to the Mac App Store, as a one-time purchase with no subscription. See it at frostshot.app and follow @frostshotapp.

Coming soon to the Mac App Store