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System & FinderCopy Text from Screen

Mac OCR: copy text from anything on screen

Mac OCR is built in as Live Text: since macOS 12 Monterey you can select text in images in Photos, Preview and Safari. Copy Text from Screen works in every other app too. Press ⇧⌘2 (Shift-Command-2), drag over any part of the screen, and the text in it is copied, recognized on your Mac.
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One of 68 fixes in MrFixable. Lifetime license, no subscription. Updated October 22, 2026. Works on macOS 14.2 Sonoma and later. Checked on macOS 26 Tahoe.

What Copy Text from Screen does

The problem
Text in a screenshot, a paused video, a scanned PDF or an app that won't let you select it can't be copied, so you end up typing it out. macOS's Live Text lets you select text in photos and images, but only in apps that support it, like Photos, Preview and Safari.
With Copy Text from Screen
Press ⇧⌘2, drag over the text you want, and it's on your clipboard, ready to paste. It works on anything you can see on screen, in any app.
  • One shortcut
    ⇧⌘2 shows macOS's own selection crosshair, and Escape cancels. Change the shortcut if you like, or click Select Area… in MrFixable's menu.
  • Stays on your Mac
    The text is read by macOS's built-in text recognition, on your Mac. Nothing is uploaded, and the captured image is deleted straight away.
  • Line by line
    The language is detected by itself, and the text is copied line by line. A small notice tells you how many lines were copied, or that no text was found.

Good to know

  • Needs Screen Recording access, which macOS requires for any app that reads what's on your screen.

  • It copies plain text only, not images, formatting or tables, and it doesn't turn a scanned PDF into a searchable one.

  • If another app already uses ⇧⌘2, MrFixable marks the shortcut, so you can pick another.

  • Switch it off and the shortcut is free for other apps again.

Questions

  • Does a Mac have OCR?

    Yes. Live Text, added in macOS 12 Monterey, recognizes text in photos and images in apps like Photos, Preview and Safari, and you can turn it on or off in System Settings › General › Language & Region. It doesn't work in every app. Copy Text from Screen uses macOS's text recognition on anything on screen.

  • How do I copy text from an image on a Mac?

    Open the image in Preview or Photos, move the pointer over the text until it becomes a text cursor, and drag to select it. Press ⌘C to copy. If the image is in an app without Live Text, turn on Copy Text from Screen, press ⇧⌘2 and drag over the text instead.

  • How do I copy text from an image on a MacBook?

    With Copy Text from Screen on, press ⇧⌘2, drag over the text in the image, and paste it with ⌘V. That works in any app. Without MrFixable, open the image in Preview and select the text with Live Text, which needs Live Text turned on in System Settings › General › Language & Region.

  • How do I copy text from a PDF image on a Mac?

    Open the PDF in Preview and try selecting the text. If the page is a scan, it's a picture of text, and Preview may not let you select it. Then turn on Copy Text from Screen, press ⇧⌘2, drag over the text and paste it anywhere. Each line on the page becomes a line of text.

  • How do I extract text from an image on a Mac?

    Turn on Copy Text from Screen, then press ⇧⌘2 or click Select Area… in MrFixable's menu. Drag over the text in the image, a paused video or an app window. The text is recognized on your Mac, copied to the clipboard line by line, and a notice tells you how many lines were copied.

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