An app crashes and a dialog appears with a cryptic error message: a code, a file path, maybe a stack trace reference. You need to Google that exact string to find a fix. But the dialog has two buttons — OK and Cancel — and no way to select or copy the text. So you grab your phone, take a photo of the screen, and squint at it while retyping the error into a search bar. Or you start scribbling it on a sticky note, character by character.
macOS Dialogs Rarely Let You Copy Text
Most error dialogs, alert windows, and system prompts on macOS render their text as static labels. You can't click into them, can't highlight a portion, can't right-click for a copy option. This is true for native macOS alerts, third-party app dialogs, installer error windows, and crash reporters. The more technical and important the error text, the more likely it is trapped in a non-selectable label.
This is especially frustrating for IT support and troubleshooting. You need the exact error text to search for solutions, file a bug report, or communicate with support teams. Paraphrasing an error code — or mistyping one character — leads you to irrelevant results.
Select the Error Text Right from the Dialog
When the error dialog appears, keep it open and activate Optic from the menu bar. Drag a selection over the error message text in the dialog. Optic reads the characters and copies them to your clipboard — exact string, exact punctuation, exact capitalization.
Search for Solutions Instantly
Paste the exact error string into Google, Stack Overflow, or an Apple support forum. Exact-match searches surface relevant results far more reliably than paraphrased descriptions of what the error said.
Bug Reports and Support Tickets
Include the precise error text in bug reports or support emails. Developers and support agents can identify issues much faster with the actual error string instead of a user's interpretation of it.
Recurring Errors
Optic saves every capture to its menu bar history. If the same error keeps appearing, you have a timestamped record of each occurrence without needing to screenshot every dialog.