1. [Clacky](https://clacky.app/) 2. › 3. [A–Z](https://clacky.app/features/#a-z) 4. › 5. [Answers](https://clacky.app/answers/) 6. › 7. Copy text from an image or video on a Mac Answer # How do I copy text from an image or video on a Mac? Use Live Text, which is built into macOS: open the picture in Preview or Photos, drag across the text to select it like normal text, then Control-click it and choose **Copy Text** (in Photos, Command-C works too). For text in a paused video, a PDF made of scans, or anything else on screen, take a screenshot of it first and open that in Preview, or use a tool that reads any part of the screen, like Clacky’s Grab Text. [Try free for 3 days](https://clacky.app/try/)[Pricing](https://clacky.app/#pricing) ![Clacky’s Grab Text on a photographed invoice: “Copied 4 lines”, with the first two lines and an Edit button](https://clacky.app/features27/grab-text-light.webp)![Clacky’s Grab Text on a photographed invoice: “Copied 4 lines”, with the first two lines and an Edit button](https://clacky.app/features27/grab-text-dark.webp) ## Copy text from a picture with Live Text If Preview won’t select the text, choose **Tools → Text Selection**. Live Text isn’t available in every language or region. 1. Open the image in **Preview** or **Photos**. Safari works the same on images in web pages. 2. Move the pointer over the text. It turns into a text cursor. 3. Drag to select the words you want. 4. Control-click the selection and choose **Copy Text**. 5. Paste it anywhere with **Command-V**. ## Text in a video, or anywhere on screen - **Pause the video** on a clear frame. On recent macOS you can often select text in a paused frame in apps that support Live Text. - **If you can’t select it**, press Shift-Command-4 and drag over the frame. Open the screenshot in Preview and copy the text from there. - **Phone numbers, emails and links** in a picture get their own menu items, like calling, writing an email or opening the link. - **Blurry or tiny text** reads badly. Zoom in or make the video full screen before you take the shot. ## With Clacky: Grab Text (macOS 14 or later) Press **⌥⇧⌘T** (Option-Shift-Command-T) and drag over any text on your screen: a video, a PDF, a photo, an app that won’t let you select. Your Mac reads it right there and it is on your clipboard, with a small note showing what was copied and an **Edit** button. Clacky’s menu also has **Grab Text from Copied Image** and **Grab Text from Image File…** for pictures that aren’t on screen. Everything is read on your Mac, nothing is uploaded. You can change the shortcut in Settings → Shortcuts. ## Where these facts come from Checked on 5 November 2026. - [Apple: Interact with text in a photo in Preview on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/prvw625a5b2c/mac) (Copy Text, Tools → Text Selection, not all languages or regions) - [Apple: Use Live Text in Photos on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/photos/live-text-interact-a-photo-pht6bc6bd5f5/mac) (Copy Text or Command-C, phone numbers, emails, links) ## Questions ### Does Live Text work offline? Yes. Live Text reads the text on your Mac. So does Clacky’s Grab Text. ### Can I copy text from a scanned PDF? Often, yes, with Live Text in Preview. If not, take a screenshot of the page and copy from that, or use Grab Text. ### Why can’t I select text in an image in Preview? Check Tools → Text Selection is on, and that the text is in a language Live Text supports. Facts checked on 5 November 2026. ## Related - [Grab TextPress ⌥⇧⌘T and drag over any text: a video, a PDF, a photo. Your Mac reads it right there and it’s on your clipboard.](https://clacky.app/features/grab-text/) - [Take a screenshot without saving a fileAdd Control to the shortcut: Control-Shift-Command-4 copies the shot to the clipboard and saves nothing. Then paste it with Command-V.](https://clacky.app/answers/screenshot-clipboard-only-mac/) - [What are Clacky's keyboard shortcuts?Clacky's shortcuts: ⌥⇧⌘4 area, ⌥⇧⌘5 window, ⌥⇧⌘3 full screen, ⌥⇧⌘6 polished shot, ⌥⇧⌘T Grab Text, ⌘K search. Change any in Settings.](https://clacky.app/answers/clacky-keyboard-shortcuts/) - [Is the built-in Mac screenshot tool enough?For everyday shots, yes. It has no blur or redact bar, numbered steps, backgrounds or scrolling capture. Here is what it does and when you need more.](https://clacky.app/answers/mac-screenshot-tool-enough/) - [Blur part of a screenshot on a MacPreview has no blur tool, so cover it with a filled shape in Markup. Or use an editor with blur, like Clacky’s, which can find emails and keys for you.](https://clacky.app/answers/blur-part-of-screenshot-mac/) [A–Z](https://clacky.app/features/#a-z)[Pricing](https://clacky.app/#pricing)[Every feature](https://clacky.app/features/) ## Make something on your Mac today. 3 days free, every feature. Then $4.99 once. [Try free for 3 days](https://clacky.app/try/)