How-toMac how-to guides
Step-by-step answers to everyday Mac questions about getting text, links and numbers off the screen.
- How-to
How-toCopy code from a video tutorial without typos
Get a code sample out of a programming video and into your editor: find the source first, pause on a crisp frame, use OCR settings for code, then fix the slips.
How-toHow to copy an error message on Mac (even from an alert)
Copy the exact wording of a Mac error from alerts, crash reports, Console and Terminal, then search it well and strip personal details before you share it.
How-toHow to copy non-selectable text on Mac
Copy text you can’t select on a Mac, from button labels and settings to installer screens, with Copy commands, VoiceOver, Accessibility Inspector or OCR.
How-toHow to copy subtitles from a video on Mac
Get subtitle text out of a video on your Mac: open .srt and .vtt files, extract embedded tracks with ffmpeg, and capture burned-in captions from paused frames.
How-toHow to copy text from an image on Mac (any format)
Copy the words in any image on a Mac with Live Text in Preview, Photos, Quick Look and Safari, plus pictures in chat apps and files like HEIC, WebP and TIFF.
How-toHow to copy text from an Instagram post or Reel on Mac
Copy an Instagram caption on instagram.com, or grab the words printed inside a photo, carousel slide or paused Reel on your Mac with Live Text or OCR.
How-toCopy text from iPhone Mirroring to your Mac
Copy text from an iPhone app in the iPhone Mirroring window: select it and paste on your Mac, or capture text in images and apps that won’t let you select it.
How-toCopy text from a protected PDF: what’s allowed, what works
Why a secured PDF blocks copying, how to check its permissions in Preview, and the fair ways to get text you’re entitled to use, without cracking any passwords.
How-toCopy text from a remote desktop to your Mac when paste fails
Fix copy and paste between a remote session and your Mac in Windows App, Screen Sharing, Citrix and VNC, and what to do when IT has switched the clipboard off.
How-toCopy text from a scanned PDF on Mac, every page at once
Turn a whole scanned PDF into editable text on a Mac: Preview’s Embed Text, Google Docs, or reading up to 50 pages in one go, plus what to do with longer scans.
How-toHow to copy text from a video on Mac (3 ways)
Pause on a sharp frame, then copy the text with Live Text in QuickTime Player, a screenshot read in Preview, or one shortcut that works in any video player.
How-toCopy text from a YouTube video on Mac: transcript or OCR
Copy the spoken words from YouTube’s built-in transcript, and grab on-screen text such as slides, code or links from a paused frame. No extension needed.
How-toRead a QR code from a screenshot or screen on Mac
Read a QR code that’s on your Mac screen or in an image, no phone needed: what macOS can do, Chrome’s Lens, decoding it on screen, and checks before opening it.
How-toCopy text from a photo on Mac: pages, signs, whiteboards
Pull text out of a camera photo on your Mac: fix tilt, glare and curved pages in Photos or Preview, then copy it with Live Text or read many photos at once.
How-toCopy text from PowerPoint slides, including text in images
Copy every slide’s text from a PowerPoint deck on Mac with Outline view, get the speaker notes out, and pull words from pictures and PDF-only decks.
How-toHow to copy any text on your Mac screen
Copy text from anywhere on your Mac screen: select it properly, use Live Text on images and paused video, a screenshot plus Live Text, or a single shortcut.
How-toHow to copy text from a screen share or video call on Mac
Copy a link, command or paragraph from someone else’s shared screen in Zoom, Teams, Meet or FaceTime: ask in chat, use Live Text, or capture it during the call.
How-toCopy text from a screenshot on Mac (or skip the screenshot)
Get the text out of a Mac screenshot with Quick Look, Preview or the floating thumbnail, read one on the clipboard, or capture the words with no file at all.
How-toHow to copy text from a website that won’t let you
Some sites block selecting, right-clicking or copying. Here’s why, and the fixes that work on a Mac: Reader, PDF export, page source, JavaScript off and OCR.
How-toHow to get the Wi-Fi password from a QR code
A Wi-Fi QR code stores the network name and password as plain text. Decode it on a Mac or iPhone, find the password after P:, and join the network by hand.
How-toRemove line breaks from text copied from a PDF
Text copied from a PDF pastes as short, broken lines. Join them in Pages, Word or a code editor, rejoin split words, and keep real paragraphs and lists intact.
How-toScan a paper document to text on Mac
Turn a paper document into editable text on your Mac: scan it with your iPhone via Continuity Camera or with a scanner in Image Capture, then get the text out.
How-toHow to screenshot part of your screen on a Mac
Screenshot just part of your Mac screen with ⇧⌘4, copy it straight to the clipboard, capture one window, use a timer, and change where screenshots are saved.