Instant text translation
Select text in any app and use the default ⌘⌥T hotkey or the menu-bar item to open the result in a floating window.
Awnsy
Awnsy is a menu-bar translation app for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 15 or later. It translates selected text or text captured from a screen area, using an offline on-device model or an optional personal OpenAI or Anthropic key.
Mac translation from selected text or screen regions
Awnsy is a macOS menu-bar translator for translating selected text and text that cannot normally be selected. Users can invoke it with a keyboard shortcut or the menu-bar item, and translations appear in a small floating window.
For screen content such as images, PDFs, games, videos, photos, and app interfaces, Translate Screen Area lets users draw a box around the relevant text. Awnsy reads the region with Apple’s on-device text recognition and then translates it. The app includes an offline on-device model and optionally supports personal OpenAI or Anthropic keys for cloud models.
Features
Translate screen areas
Press the screen-area command and draw a box around text in images, PDFs, games, videos, photos, or apps that do not allow text selection.
On-device screen reading
Apple’s on-device text recognition extracts words from selected screen regions before translation. Recognition coverage includes Latin, Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Thai, and other languages supported by the current macOS release.
Private offline model
The built-in model runs on the Mac and works offline without an account, API key, or telemetry according to the product site.
Bring your own model key
Optionally connect a personal OpenAI or Anthropic API key from Settings → Models. Awnsy stores the key in the macOS Keychain rather than sending it to Awnsy.
Native menu-bar workflow
Awnsy runs as a native Swift menu-bar app rather than an Electron application, with live-streaming translations and in-window language or model switching.
Use cases
Reading multilingual text
Translate text in websites, documents, messages, and other Mac apps by selecting it and using the keyboard shortcut or menu-bar command.
Working with visual documents
Capture text from a scanned document, photograph, PDF, or image when the source does not expose selectable text.
Games and video content
Understand dialogue, menus, or subtitles in games and videos by drawing a box around the visible text.
Offline and privacy-sensitive translation
Use the offline model while traveling or handling text that should stay on the Mac, without creating an account or configuring an API key.
Model choice for demanding translations
Compare the built-in model with a personal OpenAI or Anthropic key, switching the model in the translation window when a different cloud provider is preferred.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Translates both selectable text and text embedded in screen content.
- The built-in model works offline without an account or API key.
- Optional OpenAI and Anthropic keys provide a choice of cloud models while remaining stored in the macOS Keychain.
- Text translation is free and unlimited.
Cons
- Screen-area recognition depends on the languages supported by Apple’s text recognition on the installed macOS version; unsupported languages may produce poor results.
- Awnsy requires Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later, so Intel Macs are not supported.
- The free tier limits Translate Screen Area to 10 translations; unlimited screen translation requires Awnsy Pro.
FAQ
Where can I get Awnsy, and what does it require?
Awnsy is available from the Mac App Store. It requires a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) running macOS 15 or later. Intel Macs are not supported.
How do I translate selectable text?
Select text and press the default ⌘⌥T hotkey, or use the menu-bar item. The translation opens in a small floating window.
How do I translate text in an image, video, game, or other non-selectable content?
Choose Translate Screen Area from the menu bar or use its hotkey, then draw a box around the text. Awnsy uses Apple’s on-device text recognition to read the selected area before translating it.
Do I need an account or an API key?
No account or API key is required. The built-in on-device model works offline. You can optionally add your own OpenAI or Anthropic key in Settings → Models; keys are stored locally in the macOS Keychain.
What is included for free, and what does Awnsy Pro add?
Text translation is free and unlimited. Translate Screen Area includes 10 free translations; Awnsy Pro unlocks unlimited screen translation and adds a custom translation prompt for cloud models. Pro is offered as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase, with current prices shown in the app under Settings → Awnsy Pro.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Translation and productivity
- Platform
- macOS 15 or later
- Hardware
- Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer)
- Access
- Mac App Store
- Free tier
- Unlimited text translation; 10 free screen-area translations
- Optional models
- Built-in on-device model, OpenAI, and Anthropic
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