I got tired of copying text back and forth to translate it. Building the Mac workflow was the harder part.

Description and use

A macOS app that captures selected text or voice, previews translations, lets users review, and safely inserts the result, preserving formatting and links.

Problem

Repetitive copy‑paste translation workflow on macOS was annoying and error‑prone.

Outcome

The app reduces repetitive copy‑paste, provides preview and confirmation, preserves formatting and links, and handles voice input with separate review steps.

Workflow

• Capture selected text or start voice input via double‑tap ⌘
• Show translation preview
• Let user review and confirm
• Insert or replace text in original context after verification

Evidence

Select some text. Copy it. Open a translator. Paste it. Get the result. Copy it back.

Source

I settled on double‑tap ⌘. With text selected, it opens a translation preview. Without a selection, it opens voice input.

Source

The flow became: Capture the selected text and its context. Show the translation. Let the user review it. Replace the selection only after confirmation.

Source

The app uses Swift, AppKit, and SwiftUI. Speech capture uses AVAudioEngine, with streaming transcription through Soniox. Translation uses Apple’s system Translation framework or Gemini, depending on the selected engine.

Source