How to copy text from a screenshot

Step by step

1. 01

   Capture the text

   Press ⇧⌘A and drag over the text. To read a picture that’s already on your Mac, open it with Open Image… (⌘O), or drag it in.

2. 02

   Run OCR

   In the inspector, go to the OCR section at the bottom and click Run OCR.

3. 03

   Copy the text

   Click Copy Text. The text goes to the clipboard with its lines as they were, ready to paste into a note, a message or a search box.

Which languages it reads

Snap reads the language you use it in, plus English. To read text in another language, switch Snap to that language under Settings… › General › Language.

Offline and private

Text recognition runs on your Mac, so it works without an internet connection, and nothing you capture is uploaded.

For the best result

• Capture just the text you need; the less there is around it, the less to tidy up after.
• Zoom in on small print before you capture it: larger text is read more reliably.