Tipword
Text in images is the hardest to translate: you can’t select it in most apps, and retyping a word in a language you don’t know is slow and easy to get wrong. Here are the ways to do it on a Mac.
1. Translate it with Live Text
In Photos and Preview, macOS recognises text in pictures. Drag to select it like normal text, Control-click and choose Translate. It works best for clear photos you’ve saved, less so for a slide someone is sharing in a video call.
2. Point at the word with Tipword
Hold ⌥ Option and point at the word where it is: in a photo, a screenshot, a shared screen or a paused video. Tipword reads it on your Mac and shows the meaning right beside it.
3. Use a camera translator
For a paper menu in front of you, a phone camera app is still the quickest. For anything already on your Mac’s screen, pointing saves you the round trip.
Questions
Do I need to take a screenshot first?
No. Point at the text where it is, in Photos, Preview, a browser or a video call.
What kinds of images work?
Screenshots, photos, slides, scanned menus and memes. If the text is on your screen, you can point at it.