1.  [Features](https://clacky.app/features/)
2.  ›
3.  [Studio](https://clacky.app/features/#studio)
4.  ›
5.  Grab Text

StudioLive

# Grab Text

Press ⌥⇧⌘T and drag over any text: a video, a PDF, a photo. Your Mac reads it right there and it’s on your clipboard.

[Try free for 7 days](https://clacky.app/try/)

![Grab Text on a photographed invoice: “Copied 4 lines”, with the first lines shown](https://clacky.app/features27/grab-text-light.webp)![Grab Text on a photographed invoice: “Copied 4 lines”, with the first lines shown](https://clacky.app/features27/grab-text-dark.webp)

## What it is

Grab Text copies text you can see but can’t select: in a video, a PDF, a photo of a document, a screenshot.

Your Mac reads it right there. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is saved. Line breaks and tables are kept, so a table pastes as cells.

## How to use it

1.  1
    
    Press ⌥⇧⌘T
    
    Drag over the text, or click a window.
    
2.  2
    
    It’s copied
    
    A small card says how many lines were copied.
    
3.  3
    
    Edit if you like
    
    Click Edit on the card to see and change the text, then copy it again.
    
4.  4
    
    Or read a picture
    
    In Studio → All Screenshots, the Grab Text strip reads From Copied Image or From a File…, or an image you drop on it.
    

## Tips

-   In the screenshot editor, the Grab Text button copies the text in the shot you’re editing.

## Questions

Is the text sent anywhere?

No. It’s read on your Mac and nothing is uploaded or saved.

It said No text found here. What now?

Try a bigger area, or zoom in on the text first.

Related features

-   ![](https://clacky.app/features27/shot-editor-light.webp)![](https://clacky.app/features27/shot-editor-dark.webp)
    
    [Screenshot editor](https://clacky.app/features/screenshot-editor/)
    
    Grab an area, a window or the whole screen. Mark it up with arrows, steps, text and blur, then copy or save.
    
-   ![](https://clacky.app/features27/shelf-light.webp)![](https://clacky.app/features27/shelf-dark.webp)
    
    [Shelf](https://clacky.app/features/shelf/)
    
    Every shot slides onto the Shelf beside the editor. Drop in any image, or drag one out to Finder or any app.
    
-   ![](https://clacky.app/features27/scrolling-capture-light.webp)![](https://clacky.app/features27/scrolling-capture-dark.webp)
    
    [Scrolling Capture](https://clacky.app/features/scrolling-capture/)
    
    Pick a window and Clacky scrolls it for you, stitching one tall image of the whole page.
    
-   ![](https://clacky.app/features27/mcp-tools-light.webp)![](https://clacky.app/features27/mcp-tools-dark.webp)
    
    [Grab Text](https://clacky.app/features/mcp-grab-text/)
    
    Read text off the screen, an image or a PDF, on your Mac with Apple Vision. Plain text only; nothing saved.
    

[Everything in Studio →](https://clacky.app/features/#studio)

## Make something on your Mac today.

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