Translate Selected Text on Mac
You do not always need a screenshot to translate. Sometimes the text is already selectable in Safari, Notes, VS Code, or a PDF — you just want a translation without switching apps or losing focus.
ClariRec adds two low-intrusion entry points for that job: macOS Services and a clipboard translation hotkey (⌥T by default). Both show a compact Mini translation HUD near the pointer.
Quick comparison of entry points
| Entry | Input | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Services → Translate with ClariRec | Currently selected text in another app | Reading a paragraph without copying first |
⌥T clipboard translate |
Text currently on the clipboard | Anything you just copied |
| Screenshot OCR → translate | Text trapped in an image | UI, slides, scans — see Translate Screenshot Text |
| Result window / empty input | Editable OCR text or typed/pasted text | Fixing OCR then retranslating |
Translate with macOS Services
- Select text in any app that supports Services.
- Right-click (or use the app’s Services menu) → Services → Translate with ClariRec.
- A Mini translation HUD appears near the mouse, streams the translation when the engine supports it, and stays out of the way of the frontmost app.
- Copy from the HUD if you need the result elsewhere. Click outside to dismiss.
Optional: bind a global shortcut to the Service
- Open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Services.
- Find Translate with ClariRec under the relevant section.
- Assign a shortcut you will remember.
This uses the standard macOS Services mechanism. It does not require Accessibility permission. ClariRec intentionally does not use Accessibility-based “instant selection” APIs, which App Store sandbox apps cannot reliably obtain.
Translate clipboard text with ⌥T
- Copy text (
⌘C) from any app. - Press
⌥T(default; change it in ClariRec → Settings → Shortcuts). - The Mini HUD translates the clipboard contents with your current translation engine.
Use this when selection Services are unavailable in an app, or when you already copied the text as part of another workflow.
Which translation engine is used?
Services and ⌥T use the same translation engine you selected for normal translation:
- Local HY-MT2 model (offline after download)
- Apple Intelligence (supported macOS 26 systems)
- macOS system translation (macOS 15+)
- BYOK providers (DeepL, Mercury-2, OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepSeek, GLM, Grok, OpenRouter, Custom API, Qwen, Mistral)
Configure engines in Settings → Providers → Translation. Details: API key guide and Translate Screenshot Text.
Why a Mini HUD instead of a full window
The Mini HUD is a non-activating panel: it can show streaming text and actions without making ClariRec the focused app. That keeps typing, scrolling, and selection in the original app intact — the point of a low-intrusion translator.
Privacy
| Path | What is processed |
|---|---|
| Services | Only the text you selected for the Service |
⌥T |
Only the text currently on the clipboard when you press the hotkey |
| Local / Apple Intelligence engines | On-device |
| BYOK engines | Selected text sent directly to your configured endpoint |
ClariRec does not operate servers that receive that text. Boundary overview: Local OCR for macOS.
Troubleshooting
Services menu does not list ClariRec
Quit and reopen the source app after installing or updating ClariRec. Confirm the app supports Services for the current selection. After a Release/Archive install from the App Store, the service registration should appear; development builds can differ.
Shortcut conflicts
Remap ⌥T in ClariRec settings, or change the Services shortcut in System Settings.
HUD shows an engine error
Fix the translation provider (key, quota, language pack) the same way you would in the result window. System translation may prompt to download a language pack.
You needed OCR, not selection translate
If the text is not selectable, use Screenshot OCR first, then translate.
Related
Translate screenshots · Screenshot OCR · API keys · FAQ
