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# How to Copy Text from a Screenshot on Mac
- URL: https://snagitpro.com/copy-text-from-screenshot-mac/
- Published: 2026-10-19T05:44:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-19T10:07:14.000Z
- Description: Select and copy text from a saved Mac screenshot in Preview, then check the pasted result before using it.
- Author: Adrian Foster
- Tags: Guides, Mac, Captures

To copy text from a screenshot on a Mac, open the saved image in Preview, drag across the words, then Control-click the selection and choose **Copy Text**. Paste it into the document or message where you need it. This uses macOS Live Text; you do not need an OCR website or another app for a recognizable screenshot.

[Download](https://dropload.surf/c/DluzdtzerFlT?ref=snagitpro.com)

## Copy text from a saved screenshot in Preview

1. Find the screenshot in Finder. If it opens in another app by default, Control-click the file and choose **Open With > Preview**.
2. Move the pointer over the words in the image. Drag across the exact text you want.
3. Control-click the selection and choose **Copy Text**, then paste it where you need it.

Those are the controls in [Apple's Preview Live Text instructions](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/interact-with-text-in-a-photo-prvw625a5b2c/mac?ref=snagitpro.com). Selecting a sentence is usually better than copying a whole image when you need an error code, a line of instructions or a short address. Check the pasted result before using it: OCR can mistake similar-looking characters, especially in a code, account number or URL.

![Example of selecting words in a saved screenshot and copying them as editable text](https://storage.ghost.io/c/32/ae/32ae67dc-03a1-4a24-abcb-b731d79fd904/content/images/2026/09/inline.webp)

Select only the words you need, then inspect the pasted text for recognition errors.

## If Preview will not let you select the text

Choose **Tools > Text Selection** in Preview and try again. Apple calls out that switch when text cannot be selected. If the pointer still does not recognize the words, look at the image itself: tiny, obscured or low-contrast lettering may not yield a useful selection. A clearer original screenshot or a new capture with the text enlarged is more dependable than guessing at a partially recognized result.

Live Text also [varies by region and language](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/interact-with-text-in-a-photo-prvw625a5b2c/mac?ref=snagitpro.com). Do not assume a missing selection means the image file is broken. If the source is a web page or document with selectable text, copy from that original when possible; you avoid an OCR step entirely.

## What if you have just taken the screenshot?

If the floating screenshot thumbnail is still visible, open it before it disappears. Apple's [Mac screenshot guide](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102646?ref=snagitpro.com) explains that the thumbnail opens the capture for immediate work. MacMost also [demonstrates selecting text from that thumbnail](https://macmost.com/how-to-capture-any-text-from-your-screen-on-mac-iphone-or-ipad.html?ref=snagitpro.com). If you have already dismissed it, use the saved-file Preview steps above; there is no reason to repeat the capture just to reach Live Text.

When you need to *find* the file first, the separate guide to [Mac screenshot save locations](https://snagitpro.com/where-do-screenshots-go-on-mac/) covers Desktop, Clipboard and changed destinations.

## Choose the right route for repeated OCR work

Live Text is the fastest starting point for a few words in a screenshot you already have. For a repeated capture-and-extract workflow inside Snagit, use its separate [Grab Text guide](https://snagitpro.com/how-to-copy-text-from-a-screenshot-in-snagit/); it is a different tool and set of controls. Neither route guarantees exact transcription. Before pasting extracted text into a command, support ticket or public document, compare it with the image and remove any private data the recipient does not need.