# How to Translate Text on the Screen on Mac

Updated: November 12, 2026

Supercharge: Price: $20, one-time purchase, plus tax where applicable. Platforms: macOS. Get it from: [Setapp](https://go.setapp.com/stp181?refAppID=742&utm_medium=vendor_program&utm_content=button), [Gumroad](https://sindresorhus.gumroad.com/l/supercharge?wanted=true). Free trial: [download](https://sindresorhus.com/supercharge#trial). Requires macOS 26.4 or later. Free older versions for macOS 15: [download](https://sindresorhus.com/supercharge#older-versions).

URL: https://sindresorhus.com/guides/translate-text-on-screen-mac

Select the text, Control-click it, and choose “Translate”. For text that you cannot select, like in an app, a video, or an image, [Supercharge](https://sindresorhus.com/supercharge) translates any area of the screen.

## With Supercharge

1. Open [Supercharge](https://sindresorhus.com/supercharge), click its icon in the menu bar, and choose “Capture & Translate”. The first time, give it the screen recording access that it asks for. It only captures the area that you select.
1. Drag over the text. The translation shows in a window.
1. For a keyboard shortcut, open the Supercharge settings, click “Shortcuts”, and set a shortcut for “Capture & translate”.

It supports the [languages of the translation of macOS](https://www.apple.com/macos/feature-availability/#translate-system-wide-translation), except Hindi.

## Without an app

- **Text that you can select:** Select it, Control-click it, and choose “Translate”.
- **Text in an image:** Open the image in Preview, and hold the pointer over the text. Drag over the text, Control-click it, choose “Translate”, and choose a language. [Apple’s instructions.](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/interact-with-text-in-a-photo-prvw625a5b2c/mac)
- **Other text on the screen:** Take a screenshot with Shift+Command+4, open it in Preview, and translate the text like in an image.

The screenshot way works, but it takes more steps. Supercharge is faster when you translate text in apps or videos often.