Extract Text from a Screenshot on Mac (or Skip the Screenshot)
By Eduard Bruch, developer of Optic · Updated
To extract text from a screenshot on a Mac, open the screenshot in Preview and select the text with the cursor, since Live Text can usually recognize it there. If you only took the screenshot to grab some text, you can skip that step and copy the text straight off the screen with a screen OCR app.
Short answer: for a screenshot you already have, use Live Text in Preview. To stop taking screenshots just for text, my pick is Optic, a menu bar app that copies the text in any area you drag across the screen ($4.99, a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store).
Disclosure: I build Optic.
Screenshots capture pixels, not text
When you press Shift-Command-4, macOS saves an image of the area you drag over. The text in it is only a picture: you cannot search it, select a word or copy a tracking number out of it until something runs text recognition on the image.
Already have the screenshot? Use Live Text
Live Text works where Apple supports it: images in Preview, Photos, Quick Look and Safari. It does not work on arbitrary app windows, video calls or UI text.
- Double-click the screenshot to open it in Preview, or select it in Finder and press Space for Quick Look.
- Hover over the text. When the cursor turns into a text cursor, drag to select.
- Press Command-C and paste.
That is free and built in. If it works for you, you are done.
Skip the screenshot entirely
Many screenshots exist only to grab one line: an order number, an address, an error code, a command from a tutorial. In that case the screenshot file is a detour. A screen OCR app reads the text directly from the screen and leaves no file behind.
With Optic:
- Click the Optic icon in the menu bar.
- Choose Capture Text.
- Drag a box over the text you need.
- Paste with Command-V.
Recognition runs on your Mac with Apple's Vision framework, so no internet is needed and nothing is uploaded. A small "Copied to clipboard" note confirms the capture. On first use, macOS asks for the Screen Recording permission, and Optic's onboarding shows you where to grant it.
You can also use Optic on a screenshot you already have: open it in Preview or Quick Look and drag a box over the part you want. That helps when Live Text selects awkward chunks, for example a column of text next to an image.
Several pieces from one screenshot
Need three separate values from one long screenshot? Capture each area in turn. Every capture lands in the history, so you can paste them one after another into a form or a note.
History instead of a screenshot folder
People often keep screenshots as a memory aid. Optic's menu bar popover keeps the last 20 captures with a thumbnail and time, so you can copy a recent one again or open a link from it. The history is stored locally on your Mac and never uploaded. For anything you need long term, paste it into a note.
Cleaner results
- Line breaks: choose Preserve, Remove, or Smart merge, which joins wrapped lines but keeps sentence ends.
- Code mode: keeps indentation and turns off language correction, useful for code screenshots. More in how to copy code from a screenshot on Mac.
- Languages: 21 recognition languages, each switchable in Settings.
Where Optic does not fit
- It does not open files. It cannot pick up a screenshot from a folder; the screenshot must be open on screen.
- One area at a time. It does not process a folder of screenshots or create searchable PDFs.
- No table extraction. Tables come out as lines of text.
- No translation. Text is copied as it appears.
- History holds the last 20 captures, not an unlimited archive.
For more ways to grab on-screen text, see copy text from anywhere on your Mac screen. If you already have a folder full of screenshots, see batch OCR screenshots on Mac and Mac screenshot to text.
FAQ
How do I copy text from a screenshot on Mac?
Open the screenshot in Preview, hover over the text until the cursor changes, then select and press Command-C. This uses Live Text.
Why can't I select text in my screenshot?
Live Text may not recognize every image, and it only works in apps where Apple supports it. Try Preview, or use a screen OCR app on the open image.
Can I get text from the screen without taking a screenshot?
Yes. A screen OCR app like Optic reads the area you drag over and copies the text, with no image file saved.
Does Optic save my screenshots?
Optic does not save screenshot files. Its history keeps the last 20 captures with small thumbnails, stored locally on your Mac.