To copy text from an image on a Mac, open it in Preview, Photos, Quick Look or Safari, then select the words with Live Text and press Command-C. If the image is inside an app where Live Text is unavailable, capture that screen region with an OCR utility and copy the recognized text.
Copy text with built-in Live Text
On a supported current macOS release and language, open the image in Preview and drag over the words, then copy. If Preview draws a rectangular selection instead, choose Tools > Text Selection. Live Text is also integrated into other Apple surfaces, but availability varies by app, language, region and OS; check Apple’s current Feature Availability page rather than assuming every Mac or image surface behaves the same.
When Live Text cannot select the image
An app has to integrate the selection behavior for its displayed image or video. A scanned page, custom preview, presentation, remote-desktop window or other rendered surface may show readable pixels without exposing Live Text selection. A permitted screenshot opened in Preview is a useful diagnostic. For the full sequence, use Live Text troubleshooting.
Copy text from any screen region with OCR
Text Capture is a free menu bar utility that skips the saved-screenshot detour: press the hotkey (Command-Shift-2 by default), drag over a permitted visible region, and recognized text is copied. It uses Apple's on-device OCR. Recognition depends on supported languages and clear pixels, and macOS capture restrictions still apply.
Free on the Mac App Store. Works completely offline.
FAQ
Does the Mac have built-in OCR?
Yes. Live Text can select text in supported images and apps on compatible macOS versions. Apple’s current Feature Availability page is the authority for languages and regions; Preview documents Tools > Text Selection when ordinary dragging does not select words.
Can I copy text from an app that doesn't allow selection?
Often, if macOS permits capture and the pixels are clear enough. OCR reads the visible region rather than an app’s document model, but protected surfaces can be blank and low-resolution or rotated text can fail.
Does the image leave my Mac?
With Text Capture, no - recognition runs on-device and the app has no networking. The pixels are read once, the text is copied, and the capture is discarded unless you keep it in history.
