Tipword
An offline translator works without an internet connection, which also means your text never leaves your Mac. Since macOS 15, Apple ships a translation engine that runs on the Mac itself. Tipword uses it, so for 20 languages you can point at any word and read its meaning on a plane, on a train, or with Wi-Fi switched off.
Which languages work offline
These 20 translate on your Mac with Apple, on macOS 15 or later:
| Offline language | Offline language |
|---|---|
| Arabic | Japanese |
| Chinese (Simplified) | Korean |
| Chinese (Traditional) | Polish |
| Dutch | Portuguese |
| English | Russian |
| French | Spanish |
| German | Thai |
| Hindi | Turkish |
| Indonesian | Ukrainian |
| Italian | Vietnamese |
Tipword handles 34 more languages, such as Swedish, Greek, Hebrew and Czech, with your own Google Cloud key. Those need the internet, and only the word you point at is sent to Google.
How to download languages on macOS
Apple downloads a language the first time it’s needed. To have it ready before you go offline:
- Open System Settings › General › Language & Region.
- Click Translation Languages.
- Click the download button next to each language you want.
Each language takes some space on your Mac. You can remove it from the same list later.
How to check it’s really offline
Turn Wi-Fi off, open a page or PDF in one of the languages above, hold ⌥ Option and point at a word. If the meaning appears, it was translated on your Mac. If a language isn’t downloaded yet, macOS asks to download it, which needs a connection once.
When offline translation helps
- Travel. Menus, tickets and signs in photos on a flight or abroad without roaming.
- Private documents. A rental contract, a medical letter or a bank notice you’d rather not paste into a website.
- Work. Client files under a confidentiality agreement.
- Slow connections. No waiting on a server for each word.
What stays on your Mac
- Reading the word: through Accessibility, or Apple’s text recognition for images and scans, on your Mac.
- Translating it: Apple’s Translation framework, on your Mac, for the 20 languages above.
- No account, no analytics in the app, and nothing it reads is saved except the translations it keeps for reuse.
That makes Tipword useful for contracts, medical letters and anything else you’d rather not paste into a website.
Is there an offline Google Translate for Mac?
No. Google offers offline translation in its phone apps, but there is no Google Translate app for Mac, and the website needs a connection. On a Mac, Apple’s engine is the built-in way to translate offline. We cover the other options in Is there a Google Translate app for Mac?
How good is offline translation?
For single words and everyday sentences, Apple’s on-device engine is good. For legal or technical passages, check important text with a second source; that’s true of any machine translation. Tipword also shows the meaning of the whole sentence under the word, which helps with idioms that make no sense word by word.
Offline translators for Mac, compared
| App | Offline on Mac | How you use it |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Translate menu | Yes, macOS 15+ | Select text, Control-click, Translate |
| Tipword | Yes, 20 languages, macOS 15+ | Hold ⌥ and point at a word |
| Google Translate | No Mac app | Website, online only |
| DeepL for Mac | No | Select text, press ⌘C twice |
If you already use the built-in Translate menu and want to skip the selecting, see Tipword vs macOS Translate.
Questions
Does Tipword work offline?
Yes, for 20 languages on macOS 15 or later. Apple translates them on your Mac. The other 34 languages use your Google key and need the internet.
Do I need to download anything?
Only the languages, and macOS does that the first time you use one. You can also download them in System Settings › General › Language & Region › Translation Languages.
Is it free?
Apple’s engine is free. Tipword is $12 once, with no subscription, and a 14-day refund.
Does it work on macOS 14?
Tipword runs on macOS 14, but Apple’s on-device translation needs macOS 15. On macOS 14 you’d use the Google-key languages, online.