GitHub Repository

Screen translation app for macOS — select any area, get instant translation. On-device by default with Apple Vision OCR + Apple Translation.

38 starsSwift

ScreenTranslate – On-device screen translator for macOS (open source)

Name: ScreenTranslate – On-device screen translator for macOS (open source)
Availability: InStock
Author: hcmhcs0

by hcmhcs0·Mar 6, 2026·3 points·5 comments

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AI Analysis

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Keyboard-first macOS translation without context switching; runs entirely on-device.

Strengths

•Zero context-switch workflow: Cmd+Option+Z integrates translation into existing apps.
•On-device privacy via Apple frameworks means no cloud logging or tracking.
•Dual mode (text selection + OCR) handles both readable text and images/PDFs.

Weaknesses

•Limited to macOS 15+ and Apple's native languages; no Windows or Linux support.
•Feature parity with web-based translators (DeepL, Google) is incremental, not differentiated.

Post Description

I kept breaking my workflow to translate foreign text — copy, open browser, paste into translator, read, switch back. Repeat.

So I built a macOS menu bar app that translates right where you're working. Two modes: - Select text in any app → Cmd+Option+Z → instant translation - Cmd+Shift+T → drag over any area → OCR + translate (images, PDFs, subtitles) Everything runs on-device via Apple Vision + Apple Translation. No servers, no tracking. Free forever. 20 languages · offline capable · GPL-3.0