https://github.com/hcmhcs/screenTranslate
Screen translation app for macOS — select any area, get instant translation. On-device by default with Apple Vision OCR + Apple Translation.
https://github.com/hcmhcs/screenTranslate
apple-translation macos menu-bar-app ocr screen-capture swift swiftui translation
Last synced: 3 months ago
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Screen translation app for macOS — select any area, get instant translation. On-device by default with Apple Vision OCR + Apple Translation.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/hcmhcs/screenTranslate
- Owner: hcmhcs
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2026-03-02T16:53:19.000Z (4 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-03-24T12:07:50.000Z (3 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-03-25T02:52:23.976Z (3 months ago)
- Topics: apple-translation, macos, menu-bar-app, ocr, screen-capture, swift, swiftui, translation
- Language: Swift
- Homepage: https://screentranslate.filient.ai
- Size: 3.11 MB
- Stars: 22
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 1
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
- awesome-swift-macos-apps - ScreenTranslate - commit/hcmhcs/screenTranslate?style=flat&label=" /> - Screen text translator with OCR capture and direct selection, using on-device engines by default. (Utilities / Text)
README
# ScreenTranslate
**Translate any text on your Mac screen — capture or select.**
Screen capture with OCR, or select text and translate directly. On-device by default, with optional cloud engines.
[](https://www.apple.com/macos/)
[](https://swift.org)
[](#license)
[Download](https://github.com/hcmhcs/screenTranslate/releases/latest) · [Website](https://screentranslate.filient.ai/?utm_source=github&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=screentranslate) · [Privacy Policy](https://screentranslate.filient.ai/privacy?utm_source=github&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=screentranslate)
→
Drag to select
Translation result
---
## How It Works
### Screen Capture Translation
1. **Press shortcut** — Hit `Cmd + E` (customizable) to enter selection mode
2. **Drag to select** — Draw a rectangle around the text you want to translate
3. **Read translation** — Translation appears in a popup near your selection
### Text Selection Translation
1. **Select text** — Highlight text in any app
2. **Press shortcut** — Hit `Cmd + Option + Z` (customizable) to translate
3. **Read translation** — Translation appears instantly — no OCR needed
### Quick Translate
1. **Press shortcut** — Hit `Cmd + Shift + E` (customizable) to open the mini translation panel
2. **Type text** — Enter the text you want to translate
3. **Press Enter** — Translation appears below. Use `Shift + Enter` for new lines
No copy-paste, no browser tabs, no context switching.
## Features
- **Free & Open Source** — No subscription, no ads, no hidden costs. Licensed under GPL-3.0
- **Completely Private** — On-device by default. No servers, no tracking, no data collection
- **Instant Translation** — One shortcut triggers area selection, OCR, and translation in a single motion
- **Text Selection Translation** — Select text in any app and translate directly — no OCR needed. Supports even more languages with cloud engines
- **Quick Translate** — Type and translate instantly with a minimal floating panel
- **20 Languages** — Auto-detect source language supported. Full list below
- **Works Offline** — Download language packs once, translate anywhere without internet
- **Optional Cloud Engines (BYOK)** — Already works without any API key. Optionally connect DeepL, Google Cloud, or Azure for more languages
- **Auto Copy** — Translation results are copied to clipboard by default (can be disabled in Settings)
- **Translation History** — Every translation is saved. Search and copy previous results anytime
- **Menu Bar App** — Lightweight, always available, never in the way
### Supported Languages
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korean | English | Japanese | Chinese (Simplified) |
| Chinese (Traditional) | French | German | Spanish |
| Portuguese | Italian | Russian | Arabic |
| Dutch | Hindi | Indonesian | Polish |
| Thai | Turkish | Ukrainian | Vietnamese |
All powered by Apple Translation — on-device and offline capable.
Connect your own API key (DeepL, Google, Azure) for additional languages.
## Requirements
- macOS 15 Sequoia or later
- Apple Silicon or Intel
## Installation
### Download DMG
Download the latest version from the [website](https://screentranslate.filient.ai/).
### Homebrew
```bash
brew tap hcmhcs/tap
brew install --cask screentranslate
```
> We're aiming to get listed on the official Homebrew Cask — if you find this useful, a ⭐ on GitHub would really help!
### Build from Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/hcmhcs/screenTranslate.git
cd screenTranslate
open ScreenTranslate.xcodeproj
```
Build and run with Xcode 16+.
## Getting Started
1. Launch ScreenTranslate — it appears in your **menu bar**
2. Grant **Screen Recording** permission when prompted (System Settings → Privacy & Security)
3. Grant **Accessibility** permission for text selection translation (System Settings → Privacy & Security)
4. Press `Cmd + E` and drag over any text on screen — or select text and press `Cmd + Option + Z` — or press `Cmd + Shift + E` to type and translate
5. The translation popup appears instantly
### Changing Languages
Open Settings from the menu bar icon to:
- Set source language (or leave as Auto-detect)
- Set target language
- Download language packs for offline use
- Customize the keyboard shortcut
## Tech Stack
| Component | Technology |
|-----------|-----------|
| UI | SwiftUI + AppKit |
| OCR | Apple Vision |
| Translation | Apple Translation (on-device), DeepL, Google, Azure |
| Data | SwiftData |
| Updates | Sparkle |
| Architecture | @Observable, MainActor isolation |
## License
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.