SELECTED TEXT · MACOS WORKFLOW

How to Translate Selected Text Anywhere on Mac

Select text in a Mac app, invoke Lemvia from its global shortcut or selection capsule, review the source and result, then copy the translation or replace only the selected range. If an app does not expose its selection to macOS Accessibility, use screen OCR or manual input instead.

Best forMail, browsers, notes, editors, and documents
FallbackScreen OCR or manual input
Return actionCopy or replace the selected range
Required accessAccessibility for selection and replacement

THE SHORTEST RELIABLE PATH

Follow the state in order.

  1. Select the exact phrase

    Highlight only the sentence or paragraph you need so the source context remains easy to verify.

  2. Open Lemvia beside it

    Use the global shortcut or the optional selection capsule to open the compact result panel.

  3. Check language, route, and quality

    Confirm the source and target languages and whether the request uses Lemvia Cloud or your own compatible API.

  4. Copy or replace deliberately

    Copy the result to the clipboard, or replace only the range that was originally selected.

Selected-text translation should preserve the current task

The useful part of a Mac translation utility is not merely producing another sentence. It is reducing the distance between the source, the result, and the place where the user needs that result. Lemvia keeps the compact panel near the selected text and preserves a direct path back to the originating app.

The optional selection capsule performs one action: translate the current selection. Advanced style choices live in its secondary menu and remain subject to the active plan. There is no separate AI action because it would duplicate the same translation workflow without clarifying a different outcome.

Not every app exposes a readable selection

Browsers, editors, and standard AppKit controls usually expose selected text through macOS Accessibility. Games, remote desktops, protected documents, custom-rendered interfaces, and some PDF viewers may not. That is a platform boundary, not evidence that a translation request succeeded with empty input.

When selection is unavailable, screen OCR is the appropriate fallback for visible text. Manual input is better when the source can be copied but the original app does not provide a stable selection range for replacement.

Direct answers

Why does the selection capsule have no separate AI button?

Because Translate already sends the selection through the active translation route. A second AI button would repeat the same job without a distinct result.

Can Free users choose Advanced cloud quality?

No. Free uses the Standard managed route. Choosing Advanced opens the plan view and leaves the active quality on Standard.

What if the app cannot read the selected words?

Use screen OCR for visible but inaccessible text, or paste the source into the bilingual workspace.

PRIMARY SOURCES

Verify the underlying behavior.

The current answer should always point back to verifiable state.

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