Why Screen Recording?
NearWord uses macOS Screen Recording to read pixels on your screen—that's how we see text in images, videos, and protected PDFs.
- Never recorded
- Never transmitted
- Processed locally
Read without leaving
your flow
The native vocabulary companion for desktop. Instantly capture and understand words from any app, game, video, or image. Works offline by default.
v0.2.0 · macOS, Windows & Linux · No Account Required
The discovery felt almost serendipitous, as if the universe had conspired to bring these two ideas together at precisely the right moment.
Screenshot showing: text selection on a YouTube video with ⌥Space hotkey hint overlay
Capture
Select any word on screen. Vision reads what the OS cannot.
serendipity
⌥Space
Screenshot showing: text selection on a YouTube video with ⌥Space hotkey hint overlay
We take privacy seriously
Your data stays on your Mac
Vocabulary database, search history, and settings live in ~/Library/NearWord. We never see them.
No telemetry by default
Crash reports are opt-in. No usage analytics. No keystroke logging. Your reading habits are yours alone.
Your choice: Local or Cloud
Start free and stay free. Add cloud features only when you need them.
Yours Forever
The core experience runs locally on your machine. Vision capture, offline dictionaries, and Anki export. Fast, private, and free.
- Unlimited offline lookups
- Local dictionary
- Spaced repetition
- Unlimited Anki export
- No account required
Smart When Needed
Connect an account to unlock AI-powered context, neural translations, and sync across your devices.
- 5 AI explanations / day
- 20 cloud translations / day
- Sync across 2 devices
- Cloud dictionaries
- Falls back to Local when limits hit
Works wherever you read
PDFs, games, subtitles, websites—if you can see it, NearWord can read it.
Screenshot: overlay on PDF documentation with technical term highlighted
For Developers & Academics
Translate API docs, research papers, and error logs without leaving your editor.
- OCR for protected PDFs
- Technical terminology support
- Works in any PDF viewer
Screenshot: overlay on game dialogue or anime subtitles
For Gamers
In-game dialogue, Visual Novels, RPGs, and manga. No more alt-tabbing.
- Read stylized fonts
- Pause-free lookups
- Works on fullscreen
Screenshot: overlay on video subtitles with word definition
For Immersion Learners
Capture subtitles from Netflix or YouTube. Works where browser extensions fail.
- Context-aware definitions
- No browser extension required
- Works on any video player
Works across languages
From Japanese kanji to German compounds to Spanish conjugations.
勉強
Everything you need to master new words
君の名は
Reads what the OS cannot see
Standard tools rely on selectable text. NearWord uses computer vision to read pixels directly. Games, manga, protected PDFs—nothing is off-limits.
Word
Anki Card
{ front, back, media }The bridge to memory
Stop copy-pasting. We format your Anki cards automatically, attaching screenshots and audio so your reviews stick.
Your private vault
Your vocabulary lives on your disk, not our servers. Text processing happens on-device. No keystroke logging. Ever.
~/Library/NearWord/vocabulary.dbKeyboard centric
Global hotkeys for power users. Never touch the mouse.
⌘D
Polyglot
20+ languages with translation between any pair.
🇺🇸 🇯🇵 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 🇨🇳
Lightning fast
Native app performance. No web browser overhead.
<100 ms lookup
Questions & Answers
Does NearWord record my screen?
No. Screen Recording permission lets us read pixels when you trigger a lookup. Nothing is recorded, stored, or transmitted.
Why do you need Screen Recording permission?
macOS Look Up only works with selectable text. NearWord uses computer vision to read pixels directly—that's how we work with videos, images, and protected PDFs.
What data is sent to cloud?
By default: nothing. Cloud mode (optional) sends only the text you look up to generate AI explanations. No screenshots, no history, no background syncing.
Does it work offline?
Yes. The core experience (vision capture, local dictionary, Anki export) works completely offline. Cloud features are optional.
What happens when I hit cloud limits?
NearWord continues in Local mode. You never lose access to the core functionality.
Which macOS versions are supported?
macOS 12 (Monterey) or later. Both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs are supported.
How does Anki export work?
One-click export with auto-formatted cards. Front: word/reading. Back: definition, context, screenshot. Compatible with AnkiConnect.
How do I change the hotkey?
Settings → Hotkeys. Default is ⌥Space. You can set any system-wide shortcut that works for you.