TRex: OCR Text Capture for macOS

⬅️ Back to Tools

TRex: Copy Any Text, Anywhere 🦖

Ever stared at text on your screen that you couldn’t select? A locked PDF, a screenshot, a YouTube video, or a Zoom screen share? TRex https://github.com/amebalabs/TRex eliminates the frustration of retyping. From the same team behind SwiftBar and SwiftKey, this lightweight menu bar app uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to grab any visible text and copy it straight to your clipboard.

It’s like taking a screenshot, but instead of an image, you get editable text, instantly.

Key Features

🎯 Dead Simple Workflow

TRex is designed to be invisible. No complicated interface, no learning curve:

  1. Invoke Capture - Click the menu bar icon or press your custom global shortcut
  2. Select Area - Drag to select the region containing text (just like a screenshot)
  3. Paste Anywhere - The extracted text is already in your clipboard

That’s it. No third step.

🔒 Completely Offline

Every feature works without an internet connection:

  • On-device OCR: All text recognition happens locally using Apple’s Vision framework
  • No data sent: Your screen captures never leave your Mac
  • Privacy first: Perfect for sensitive documents and confidential information

📋 Versatile Text Sources

If you can see it, TRex can copy it:

  • PDFs with non-selectable or scanned text
  • Screenshots and images containing text
  • YouTube videos and any video playback
  • Zoom calls and screen sharing sessions
  • Apps with locked or non-copyable text
  • QR codes and barcodes

⚡ Automation & Integrations

TRex doesn’t just copy text, it can trigger actions:

  • Run Shortcuts: Automatically execute Apple Shortcuts after capture
  • Open URLs: Detect and open links found in captured text
  • QR Code Actions: Automatically open URLs from QR codes
  • Custom URL Schemes: Trigger integrations with other apps
  • CLI Tool: Command-line interface at /Applications/TRex.app/Contents/MacOS/cli/trex

Popular Integrations:

  • Alfred: Official workflow available
  • Raycast: Official commands available

🛠️ Power User Features

  • Global Shortcuts: Configure custom keyboard shortcuts for instant capture
  • Recognition Language: Set your preferred language for better accuracy
  • Custom Words List: Add specialized vocabulary for improved recognition
  • URL Scheme Support: Trigger captures programmatically via trex://capture

Platforms

  • 🍎 macOS Big Sur (11.0) and up

Get Started

Option 1: Homebrew (Recommended) 

brew install --cask trex

Option 2: GitHub Releases

Download the latest release from the GitHub Releases page.

Option 3: App Store

Purchase from the Mac App Store to support the developer.

URL Schemes for Automation

Trigger TRex programmatically:

trex://capture                    # Trigger screen capture
trex://captureclipboard          # Capture from clipboard image
trex://captureautomation         # Capture and run automation
trex://captureclipboardautomation # Clipboard capture + automation
trex://showPreferences           # Open preferences

CLI Usage 

# Capture from screen
/Applications/TRex.app/Contents/MacOS/cli/trex capture

# Capture from clipboard
/Applications/TRex.app/Contents/MacOS/cli/trex captureclipboard

🔗 Website: github.com/amebalabs/TRex

🔗 GitHub: github.com/amebalabs/TRex

Why This Tool Rocks

  • Invisible & Fast: Lives in your menu bar, captures in seconds, gets out of your way
  • Works Everywhere: Any text visible on screen, PDFs, videos, images, apps, is copyable
  • Privacy-First: 100% offline OCR means your data never touches the internet
  • Automation Ready: Integrates with Shortcuts, Alfred, Raycast, and custom workflows
  • From the SwiftBar Team: Built by developers who understand macOS power users
  • Free on GitHub: Open source with no limitations; App Store purchase optional to support development

Crepi il lupo! 🐺