TextSniper popularized the idea of screen-level OCR on Mac: draw a rectangle, grab the text. It's a simple concept that solves a real problem. But if you've used it and found yourself wanting more — a history of past captures, QR code support, or the ability to hear extracted text read aloud — you've likely looked for alternatives.
What's Missing in Basic Screen OCR
Most screen OCR tools handle the core capture well: activate a shortcut, drag a region, get text on your clipboard. But the workflow around that single action matters just as much.
No capture history. You extract text, paste it somewhere, and the capture is gone. Ten minutes later you need that same text again, and you have to re-scan. If you forgot to paste immediately, the next thing you copy overwrites it.
No QR code reading. QR codes on your screen — in emails, documents, web pages — require a separate tool or your phone's camera. A screen capture tool that can decode QR codes saves you from juggling devices.
No text-to-speech. Sometimes you need to hear text rather than read it — for proofreading, accessibility, or multitasking. Basic OCR tools stop at clipboard output.
Optic: Screen OCR with the Full Workflow
Optic handles the same core OCR capture — drag to select any text on screen from any source — and adds the features that make screen OCR actually useful day to day.
Capture History in the Menu Bar
Every text extraction and QR scan is saved and accessible from the menu bar. Scroll back through previous captures, re-copy something from an hour ago, or review a series of extractions from a research session. No more losing text because you copied something else.
Built-In QR Code Scanner
Draw a selection around any QR code visible on your screen and Optic decodes it. URLs, Wi-Fi credentials, contact cards, plain text — whatever the code contains appears immediately, no phone required.
Text-to-Speech
Any captured text can be read aloud. Useful for catching OCR errors by ear, for accessibility needs, or for listening to extracted content while you work on something else.
Menu Bar Native
Optic lives in the menu bar and stays out of your way until you need it. No dock icon, no main window to manage — just a lightweight tool that's always one click or shortcut away.