Copy text from a screenshot, or ask AI about it

An error message you can't copy. A slide you want in your notes. A paragraph inside an image. You can extract the words from these screenshots, or ask a question about what they mean.

NoteFlux has a screenshot-to-text feature for extracting words, and Ask AI for questions about a screenshot. The first uses text recognition on your Mac. The second uses a cloud AI provider. Here's how to choose between them.

Copy the text when you already know what to do with it

Use screenshot-to-text when the content is visible but not selectable. A slide in a video, a code snippet in an image or a passage in a scanned document are good examples.

1. Capture the relevant part of the screen to your clipboard. On a Mac, Control + Shift + Command + 4 lets you select an area and copy the capture instead of saving a file.
2. Use the shortcut configured for NoteFlux's screenshot-to-text feature.
3. Paste the extracted text where you need it and check it against the image.

Crop closely enough to make the letters clear. Small text, unusual fonts and busy backgrounds can reduce recognition quality. If a screenshot includes code, check punctuation, indentation and characters such as 0, O, 1 and l before using it.

Apple's screenshot shortcut guide covers capturing a selected area and copying it to the clipboard. If you've customized those shortcuts in macOS, use your own settings.

Ask a question when you need an explanation

Ask AI is useful when copying the words would only be the start of the work. You might want to understand an error message, summarize a slide or identify which part of a short instruction is relevant to your task.

Copy the screenshot to your clipboard, use your Ask AI shortcut, and say a specific question. For example:

What does this error message mean, and what should I check first?

Or:

Summarize the main point of this slide in two sentences.

Give the question a little context, such as “I'm setting up a microphone on my Mac.”

Check the explanation against the original image. For troubleshooting, use the software's own documentation to confirm any unfamiliar steps.

Understand the privacy difference

Screenshot-to-text runs on your Mac. The screenshot does not leave your device for that operation.

Ask AI sends your question and the screenshot to an AI provider through NoteFlux's servers. Crop out details that aren't needed, and follow your workplace's rules for sharing documents with AI services.

The privacy policy explains the current processing and retention setup. The local versus cloud guide covers the same distinction across dictation, cleanup and voice editing.

Keep the next step in the app you're using

After extracting a paragraph, paste it into your notes. If you're asking about an error, keep the original message nearby while you work through the explanation.

If your next step is writing a reply, dictate a first draft and edit it by voice. Combining a couple of small actions is often more useful than learning every shortcut at once.

Check your setup once

NoteFlux supports macOS 13 or later on Apple Silicon. Check the shortcuts in the app's settings and follow any macOS permission prompts during setup. Ask AI availability and limits depend on your plan; the current details are on the pricing page.

Try both features on a slide you created: copy its words into a note, then ask AI for a short summary. You'll see which action fits the task you have in mind.