How do I search for text inside screenshots on a Mac?
Live Text lets you select text in one image. To find which screenshot contains certain words, you need search that reads all images. Trawl reads the text in every screenshot and photo on your Mac, so "the screenshot with the boarding pass" finds it.
The built-in way (free)
- Open a screenshot in Preview and select the text with Live Text.
- Spotlight sometimes finds text in images; results vary.
With Trawl
- Type words that were in the screenshot.
- Try "screenshot from october" to filter by month.
Describe it. Trawl finds it.
Files, photos, recordings, every browser and your clipboard, searched by meaning on your Mac. Your day, hour by hour. Nothing uploaded.
Download for Mac2 days free · macOS 26+ · Apple siliconRelated
Updated 2026-10-11.