TRex for MAC
Free, open-source Mac menu bar app that copies text from anything on screen with OCR: PDFs, images, videos, screen shares. Works offline.
TRex Overview
TRex copies text you cannot select. Press its shortcut, drag over any part of the screen as if taking a screenshot, and the text in that area is recognized and placed on your clipboard, ready to paste. It works on PDFs with non-selectable text, screenshots, images, YouTube videos, Zoom screen shares and anything else you can see. TRex also reads QR codes and barcodes, lives quietly in the menu bar, and does all its text recognition offline.
Version 2.0 added a lot: capture several screen regions at once, Watch Mode that captures a region whenever it changes, a history of your captures, and table detection that exports tables as Markdown, CSV or plain text. You can also choose an AI service, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama or on-device Apple Intelligence, to recognize or tidy up text; this is optional, and TRex falls back to built-in recognition when offline. TRex is made by Ameba Labs and is free and open source under the MIT license; it is also sold on the Mac App Store. The free GitHub build of 2.0.0 is for Apple Silicon and needs macOS 14 or later.
Key Features
TRex turns anything on your screen into text.
- Screen OCR: select an area and the text goes to your clipboard.
- Works offline: built-in text recognition needs no internet.
- QR codes and barcodes: read them from the screen.
- Multi-region capture: grab up to 50 areas in one go.
- Watch Mode: capture a region automatically when it changes.
- Table detection: export tables as Markdown, CSV or plain text.
- Optional AI: OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama or Apple Intelligence.
- Automation: a command-line tool, URL scheme and Shortcuts.
What’s New in Version 2.0.0
TRex 2.0.0 is a major update.
- Table detection with export to Markdown, CSV or plain text
- Optional AI text recognition and clean-up with OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama or Apple Intelligence
- Capture up to 50 screen regions at once
- Watch Mode captures a region whenever it changes
- Capture history with thumbnails
- Turkish added to text recognition, plus command-line and interface fixes
TRex FAQ
Is TRex free?
Yes. TRex is free and open source under the MIT license when downloaded from GitHub. It is also sold on the Mac App Store.
Which macOS version does TRex need?
The TRex 2.0.0 download from GitHub needs macOS 14 or later.
Does TRex run on Intel Macs?
The 2.0.0 app on GitHub is built for Apple Silicon only.
How do I copy text with TRex?
Start a capture from the menu bar or with your shortcut, then select an area of the screen. The text is placed on your clipboard.
Does TRex need the internet?
No. Its built-in text recognition works offline. AI services are optional.
Can TRex read QR codes?
Yes. It reads QR codes and barcodes, and can open the links they contain.
Can TRex copy tables?
Yes. Version 2.0 detects tables and exports them as Markdown, CSV or plain text.
Which languages can TRex recognize?
You can choose the recognition language in its settings. Version 2.0 added Turkish.
Can I install TRex with Homebrew?
Yes. Run brew install --cask trex.
Where does the TRex download on trex.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official TRex releases on GitHub at https://github.com/amebalabs/TRex/releases/latest. trex.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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