How to Use Live Text on Mac: Copy Text From Any Photo or Screenshot

Ever needed a phone number off a photo of a business card, a Wi-Fi password from a picture of a router label, or a paragraph out of a screenshot you couldn't retype? Live Text does exactly that. It reads the words inside any image on your Mac so you can select, copy, and paste them like normal text — no app, no typing, no OCR software to install.

Here is how to use it, where it works, and what to do when the text stubbornly won't highlight.

What Live Text actually does

Live Text uses on-device recognition to find real, selectable words inside pictures. Point your cursor at text in a photo and the cursor changes to the familiar I-beam — now you can drag to select, right-click to copy, look up a word, translate it, or click a phone number to call and an address to open in Maps. It works on photos, screenshots, images on web pages, PDFs in Preview, and even paused video frames.

Which Macs support Live Text

Live Text needs macOS Monterey (2021) or later, and for the full, fast, multi-language experience it needs an Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3, or newer). Older Intel Macs on Monterey get a limited version; some languages and the fastest recognition are Apple-Silicon-only.

The good news: the cheapest way into a fully Live-Text-capable Mac is an M1 MacBook Air, which we carry from $569.99. Any Apple Silicon Mac we sell handles Live Text instantly. If you're shopping on a budget, our Apple clearance section is the place to start.

MacBook showing Live Text selecting words inside a photo

How to copy text from a photo (step by step)

  1. Open the image — in Photos, Preview, Quick Look (tap the spacebar on a file), or right on a web page.
  2. Move your cursor over the words. When the pointer turns into a text I-beam, Live Text is active.
  3. Click and drag across the text you want, or click the small Live Text button (the lined-square icon) that appears in the corner of the image to select everything at once.
  4. Right-click and choose Copy (or press Command-C).
  5. Paste it wherever you need it with Command-V.

The same right-click menu also offers Look Up, Translate, Search with Google, and — for a detected phone number, email, address, or web link — a one-click action to call, message, map, or open it.

Turning Live Text on or off

Live Text is on by default, but if nothing highlights, check the switch. Open System Settings > Language & Region and make sure Live Text (sometimes shown as "Select text in images" or, in Photos, under Settings > General) is toggled on. On older macOS it lives in System Preferences > Language & Region. Restart the app after flipping it.

When the text won't select — quick fixes

  • No I-beam cursor? The image may be too blurry, too small, or too low-contrast for recognition. Zoom in or use a sharper copy.
  • Handwriting or stylized fonts are hit-or-miss — Live Text is tuned for printed text.
  • Wrong language: add the language under Language & Region; recognition only covers the languages your Mac is set up for.
  • Older Intel Mac: some documents just won't trigger it — this is where an Apple Silicon upgrade makes the feature reliable.
  • Whole scanned page? Live Text copies the words but not the layout. For a fully searchable, Cmd-F-able document, see our guide to scanning a document on a MacBook.

Live Text works with your iPhone too

The same feature lives in the iPhone Camera and Photos apps, and thanks to Continuity you can point your iPhone at a page, grab the text, and paste it straight onto your Mac. If you're moving between devices, our guide on moving data to a new Mac covers keeping everything in sync.

Why this is easier on a Mac

Live Text is one of those small features that quietly saves hours — no scanner, no retyping, no paid OCR app. It's built into every Apple Silicon Mac we sell, and pairs naturally with Preview's PDF editing for a completely free document workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I copy text from an image on my Mac?

Open the image, move your cursor over the words until it becomes a text I-beam, drag to select, then right-click and choose Copy (or press Command-C). Paste it anywhere with Command-V.

Why can't I select text in a photo on my Mac?

Live Text may be off (check System Settings > Language & Region), the image may be too blurry or low-contrast, the text may be in a language your Mac isn't set up for, or you may be on an older Intel Mac with limited support.

Does Live Text work on Intel Macs?

Partially. Intel Macs on macOS Monterey or later get a limited version, but the fast, full multi-language experience requires an Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) Mac.

Which Macs support Live Text?

Any Mac running macOS Monterey (2021) or later, with the best experience on Apple Silicon. The most affordable fully-capable option we sell is the M1 MacBook Air from $569.99.

Is Live Text free?

Yes. It's built into macOS at no cost — no app to buy and no subscription. If you can run a supported version of macOS, you already have it.

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