Glyphgrab — Copy Text From Anywhere on Screen for Mac

Glyphgrab copies text from anywhere on the Mac screen: a video frame, a photo, an error dialog, a scanned PDF, a web page that will not let you select. Drag over it and the words are on the clipboard. It reads QR codes and barcodes too, and everything happens on the Mac itself.

Drag over it, paste it

Press Control-Option-T, drag a rectangle over the words and let go. A moment later a card at the top of the screen says Copied, with the first line and a count of lines and characters. Only that rectangle is captured, and the picture is thrown away once the text is read.

Codes read, links offered

Drag over a QR code or barcode the same way. If it holds a web link, the card offers Open and Copy, and nothing opens on its own. Anything else is copied straight away.

Images work too

Choose a screenshot, photo or scan with From Image…, or drop one onto the panel. Reading files needs no Screen Recording permission, so it works from the first minute.

Tidy text, as needed

Keep Line Breaks copies lines as they sit on screen. Join into One Paragraph runs them together and rejoins words split with a hyphen. Preserve Table Spacing keeps columns in a table or receipt lined up. Language can stay on Automatic or be set to one language for short snippets.

The last twenty grabs

The panel keeps the last 20 grabs, newest first, with codes marked by a small QR symbol. Click one to copy it again. History is text only; no images are ever stored.

How it works

• Press Control-Option-T from any app, or click the menu bar icon and press Grab Text. Every display dims.
• Drag a rectangle over the text. Its size shows underneath. Escape, a right-click or a click without dragging backs out.
• Let go and a small card drops in at the top of the screen with the first line and the word Copied. Paste with Command-V.
• Drag over a QR code or barcode the same way. A link waits for Open or Copy; anything else, such as a product number, is copied straight away.
• Press From Image… or drop a screenshot, photo or scan onto the panel to read a file instead of the screen.
• The menu holds Line Breaks, Preserve Table Spacing, Language, Open at Login and Clear History.

Opening it the first time

Glyphgrab is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens with a normal double-click. To read the screen, macOS also requires the Screen Recording permission: the panel shows a Grant Screen Recording button that opens the right page of System Settings.

Does it send anything anywhere?

No. Text and codes are recognised on the Mac itself using the text recognition built into macOS. Only the area you drag over is captured, only when you grab, and the image is discarded as soon as the text is read.

What is kept, and where?

Only the text of the last 20 grabs, in ~/Library/Application Support/Glyphgrab/history.json. Clear in the panel, or Clear History in the menu, removes it all.

What if it finds no text?

Very small or blurred text can defeat recognition. Drag a slightly larger rectangle, zoom in first, or use a sharper image. If letters come out wrong in another language, set Language to that language instead of Automatic.

Why might it ask for Screen Recording again?

Glyphgrab is signed and notarized by Apple, so a Screen Recording permission granted once carries over to later updates. When moving from an older, unsigned download, macOS may ask one more time: turn Glyphgrab off and on again in the Screen Recording list, then quit and reopen it.

Which Macs does it run on?

Any Mac with Apple silicon or Intel running macOS 13 Ventura or later.