How to Extract Text From a Screenshot on Mac
Need to copy text out of an image, a screenshot, or a video frame? Here's how to extract text on a Mac with OCR — including the fastest one-step way.
Can you copy text from a screenshot on a Mac?
Yes. Recent macOS versions include Live Text, which lets you select and copy text inside images in Preview, Photos, Quick Look, and Safari. It works well for saved images, but it's tied to those apps and doesn't cover every case — like grabbing text from a video, a non-selectable app, or straight off the screen.
Using macOS Live Text
Open the image in Preview or Quick Look, then drag to select the text as if it were a document and copy it. macOS Sequoia also added a right-click "Copy All Text" in some places. Handy — but you have to open the file first, and support is inconsistent across apps.
One-step OCR with Shotstrix
Shotstrix (free) builds OCR into the capture itself: snip any part of your screen — an image, a PDF, a video frame, an error message — and pull the selectable text out instantly, ready to paste. No opening files, no app-by-app guessing.
How to extract text with Shotstrix
- 1 Capture the text
Trigger a capture over the text you want, anywhere on screen.
- 2 Let it recognize
Shotstrix runs OCR on the selection on-device.
- 3 Paste anywhere
Copy the recognized text and paste it — no retyping.
Get Shotstrix — free
Shotstrix is a free screenshot and screen-recording tool for macOS — scrolling capture, OCR, annotation, blur, GIF recording, and share-ready backdrops, with no account and no watermark.
Free · Universal (Apple Silicon + Intel) · macOS 14 Sonoma or later
Frequently asked questions
Does macOS have built-in OCR? +
Yes, via Live Text in Preview, Photos, and Quick Look, but it only works on images already open in those apps. Shotstrix runs OCR on anything on screen in one step.
Can I extract text from a video or an app window? +
Yes, with Shotstrix — it captures and reads text from any region of the screen, including video frames and app windows.
Is the OCR private? +
Yes. Shotstrix uses on-device text recognition — nothing is uploaded; it all runs locally on your Mac.