Anyone use Grab2Text?

[BotchQue]

I saw this app discussed on a EweTube channel yesterday and it sounded exactly what I was looking for.
I really like the recent ability in Preview, Photos, and maybe others, to slide your cursor over an image and, if the program recognizes text in the image, the arrow cursor turns into the text select cursor and you can select, copy and paste that text into an email, note, Pages doc, etc. That's really helpful to me.
However, the text has to be in an image. If the text is on a website page, the desktop, etc my workaround has been to take a screenshot of what I wanted to copy, open that screenshot in Preview, and grab it then; workable but kinda fussy. This new to me app, Grab2Text, allows that using a moveable box, and it goes directly to the Clipboard. Neat!

However, the first time I used it the Mac OS popped up and told me this:

I seem to remember a bit of a kerfuffle about another app/system, a couple months ago, about how its screen recording was a big violation of Apple's security measures, but I can't remember what that app/system was. Would I be safe in assuming that, since I got "Grab2Text" from Apple's App Store, that I don't need to be worried that my every move is being spied on/recorded somewhere? I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed wrt computer security, so any advice on this would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[bogdanw]

Alternatives:
"TextGrabber2 is a free and open-source macOS menu bar app that efficiently detects text from copied images. This eliminates the need to save images as files and then delete them solely for the purpose of text detection."
"TextGrabber2 is NOT a screenshot tool, meaning it doesn't require access like Screen Recording or Accessibility. It relies on the keyboard shortcuts you use daily."
https://github.com/TextGrabber2-app/TextGrabber2

Textinator
"Simple macOS StatusBar / menu bar app to perform automatic text detection on screenshots."
https://github.com/RhetTbull/textinator

 

[pogmoor]

Another alternative (that I use) is TextSniper which copies any selected on screen text to the clipboard.I also reads QR codes and barcodes.

 

[BotchQue]

Excellent, thanks for the help guys!

 

[gilby101]

However, the first time I used it the Mac OS popped up and told me this:
Screen Recording Access
Grab2Text needs your permission to capture screen recording.
Please go to System Settings to give Grab2Text Screen Recording permission

All part of nanny Apple. Any app which looks at what is on the screen will cause a similar popup. Even after approving you will probably get reminders/repeats every so often.

Apple gives so many warnings that we soon learn to accept/approve everything - life is too short to investigate every time.

I use TextSniper though I am never sure whether the name is what the developer intended - maybe should be TextSnipper. Do you shoot at text or cut text?

 

[gilby101]

TextGrabber2

Thanks, didn't know that one. It really does work for capturing just the text and without any "security" warning.

 

[bogdanw]

Another alternative (that I use) is TextSniper which copies any selected on screen text to the clipboard.I also reads QR codes and barcodes.

Doesn't TextSniper also require permission to record the screen?
I would try it, but even the trial costs.
Free alternatives:
TRex (OCR & QR) https://github.com/amebalabs/TRex
NormCap (OCR) https://dynobo.github.io/normcap/
Shottr (OCR & QR) https://shottr.cc “You can download and use Shottr for free. After 30 days it will start asking you to consider upgrading.”

 

[tomekwsrod]

You can also create a "script" in Apple shortcuts to do this for you. Here is one that I use.

 

[gilby101]

Doesn't TextSniper also require permission to record the screen?

Yes it does.

"TextGrabber2 is NOT a screenshot tool, meaning it doesn't require access like Screen Recording or Accessibility. It relies on the keyboard shortcuts you use daily."

The relying on macOS to do the actual screenshot is neat way of avoiding the screen recording permissions. Someone at Apple missed this as a way of bypassing a new "security" feature/annoyance.

But having tried TextGrabber2, I will stick with TextSniper and ScreenFloat because of ease of use and extra features.

I hope to avoid (for a year) any repeat permission requests by having added a year to all the dates in ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.replayd/ScreenCaptureApprovals.plist.

 

[bogdanw]

I hope to avoid (for a year) any repeat permission requests by having added a year to all the dates in ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.replayd/ScreenCaptureApprovals.plist.

I haven't tested:
"To stop the prompts forever—for the rest of your life, anyway—set the date to far in the future, for example, the year 3024 instead of 2024."
https://lapcatsoftware.com/articles/2024/8/10.html
via
https://tinyapps.org/blog/202409180700_disable_sequoia_nag.html