Version 1.2.0 for macOS 15.2+

Snip text and QR codes from your screen.

TextSnipper is a native macOS menu bar app that copies recognized screen text or QR code payloads to your clipboard. It runs locally with Apple Vision, with no analytics and no network requests.

Download for Mac View Source

Source-available under a non-commercial license. Commercial resale is not permitted without written permission.

TextSnipper app icon
Selected screen text Invoice #TS-1001 Copied to clipboard

Built for quick capture.

Use one shortcut, drag a region, and paste the result wherever you are working.

Offline OCR

Recognizes visible text from PDFs, images, videos, terminals, and locked documents.

QR decoding

Snip over a QR code to copy URLs, Wi-Fi payloads, contact data, or any embedded text.

Menu bar first

After first-run setup, control snipping, settings, and quit from the macOS menu bar.

Private by design

Screen captures are processed on your Mac. TextSnipper does not upload captures, recognized text, QR payloads, or usage analytics.

Cancelable workflow

Press Escape while selecting or processing a snip to cancel immediately and return to your desktop.

Install in minutes.

Download the release zip, move TextSnipper.app to Applications, then approve the app and grant the required macOS permissions.

Step 1

Download

Get TextSnipper-macOS.zip from GitHub Releases.

Step 2

Move

Unzip the file and move TextSnipper.app into your Applications folder.

Step 3

Approve

If macOS blocks the app, click Done, then approve it from Privacy & Security.

Step 4

Snip

Use the menu bar or Shift + Command + 2 to capture text or QR codes.

If macOS says TextSnipper cannot be opened

Because TextSnipper is currently distributed without an Apple Developer certificate, macOS may block the first launch. This is normal for unsigned apps downloaded from the internet.

  1. Double-click TextSnipper.app.
  2. If macOS shows a warning with Move to Trash, do not move it to trash.
  3. Click Done.
  4. Open System Settings.
  5. Go to Privacy & Security.
  6. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
  7. You should see a message saying TextSnipper was blocked.
  8. Click Open Anyway.
  9. Confirm the next macOS prompt by clicking Open.

Required permissions after opening

TextSnipper needs macOS permissions so it can capture the selected screen region and allow the snipping shortcut to work properly.

  1. When prompted, allow Screen Recording.
  2. When prompted, allow Accessibility.
  3. If macOS opens System Settings, enable TextSnipper in the requested permission section.
  4. Restart TextSnipper after enabling permissions.

If macOS says the app is "damaged"

macOS can show this warning for unsigned apps downloaded from the internet. It is usually caused by the quarantine flag attached to downloaded apps. Run this once in Terminal, then open the app again: 

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/TextSnipper.app