Lexo Translate selected text on your Mac, 100% on-device
Translate selected text in any application with a single keyboard shortcut. 100% on-device, without sending your text to the internet.
What Lexo does
Instant, private translation everywhere on your Mac.
Global shortcut
Select text anywhere and press ⌃⇧T (Ctrl + Shift + T). The translation appears instantly.
100% local and private
Translation uses Apple's on-device engine. No text is sent to the internet, no API key.
Works in every app
Mail, Safari, Slack, VS Code, PDF… Lexo captures your selection everywhere, and your clipboard is put back as it was.
Floating bubble
The result shows in a small bubble, on the screen where your cursor is, or wherever you last left it.
Automatic detection
The source language is detected for you. You just pick the target language.
Choose your target language
French by default, with about twenty languages available in the preferences.
Read aloud
Hear the pronunciation of the original and the translation in one click, with the best macOS voice installed on your Mac.
Translation history
Your translations are saved locally, ready to search and reuse.
Interface in 40 languages
Lexo's interface is available in all 40 macOS system languages, automatically based on your Mac, or your pick in the preferences.
One-click updates
Lexo checks for a new version once a day and installs it in one click, with nothing to reinstall. You can turn the check off in its Preferences.
Your text never leaves your Mac
Lexo relies on Apple's Translation framework: everything is translated offline, on your machine. No text sent, no analytics, no account.
Privacy policy and terms of useInstall in 3 steps
Download and install
Open the .dmg file and drag Lexo into your Applications folder.
Grant Accessibility
On first launch, grant the Accessibility permission, required to read the selection.
Translate!
Select text in any app and press ⌃⇧T (Ctrl + Shift + T).
Why Lexo instead of an online translator?
An online translator receives everything you paste into it. Lexo translates on your Mac, right where the text already is.
Your text stays on your Mac
Translation runs through Apple's engine, offline. Lexo sends neither text nor analytics, and needs no account.
No copy and paste
Select text in any app and press ⌃⇧T: the translation appears right next to it, without switching windows.
Free, no API key, no quota
No subscription, no sign-up, no translation limit. A 4 MB download, and Lexo lives quietly in the menu bar.
Made for macOS
macOS voices for reading aloud, an interface in the system's 40 languages and automatic detection of the source language.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lexo really free?
Yes. No subscription, no account, no API key to provide and no translation limit: Apple's translation engine runs on your Mac.
Is my text sent over the Internet?
No. Lexo translates with the engine built into macOS, on your machine, and contains no usage analytics. Its only connections are macOS downloading language models and the update check, which you can turn off in Preferences, under About.
Do I need an Internet connection?
Only the first time you translate a new language pair: macOS then downloads the matching model, about 30 MB. After that, everything works offline.
Which languages does Lexo translate?
About twenty: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). The source language is detected automatically.
Why does Lexo ask for Accessibility permission?
To copy the text selected in the app in front, Lexo simulates ⌘C, which macOS only allows for authorized apps. Without it, the bubble offers to turn it on. You can revoke it at any time in System Settings, under Privacy & Security.
Can I change the ⌃⇧T shortcut?
Yes, in Lexo's Preferences, which you open from its menu bar icon.
Does Lexo change my clipboard?
To read your selection, Lexo briefly goes through the clipboard, then puts it back as it was. It flags that restore to clipboard managers such as Maccy or Paste, so they don't record it twice.
What does the history keep, and where?
Your latest translations, 500 at most, in a file on your Mac only. It is on and kept with no time limit at first: you can choose 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days, clear everything, or turn the history off, which also erases it.
Why does it need macOS 15?
Lexo relies on Apple's translation engine, which apps can use starting with macOS 15 Sequoia. It runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
What languages is the app available in?
All 40 macOS system languages: Lexo follows your Mac's language, or the one you pick in Preferences.
Ready to try Lexo?
Free download, no sign-up.
macOS 15+ · Intel & Apple Silicon · 4 MB