Hold the screen
One shortcut freezes the screen, so a subtitle or a moving line stays put while you point. A reading spotlight keeps the line you're on in view.
Screen text
If you can see the word, you can look it up.
Games, video, scanned pages, screenshots, slides in a call. No dictionary can select that text. Press the shortcut and AALookup reads the screen, holds it still, and opens the meaning next to the word you point at.
No account needed. Your dictionaries stay on your computer.
What you can do
Select what isn't selectable
On the held screen, the text becomes selectable. Copy it, or look up words from it as if it were a document.
Screenshot tools on the spot
Annotate the held screen, mosaic what should stay private, and copy the result, without leaving the page you were reading.
Free, no sign-up
How to start
- Download and open AALookup
macOS or Windows, under 20 MB, no account needed.
- Let it see your screen
On a Mac, allow Accessibility so it can read the word under your pointer, and Screen Recording for text in games and images. Windows asks for nothing.
- Point at a word
Three-finger tap on a Mac, or press your shortcut on Windows. The meaning appears next to the word.
What users say
I used to chain two apps together, one for grabbing words off the screen and GoldenDict-ng for the dictionaries. AALookup does all of that on its own, and the UI is done really well.
A really good tool. On Windows I used STranslate and always wished it could open my local dictionary files, because a local lookup is always faster than asking an AI. This solves exactly that.
Common questions
Which languages are recognised?
English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. You can pin the language if you always read the same one.
Does Windows need anything extra?
No. Screen text works as installed on Windows 10 and 11. macOS asks for Screen Recording once.
Is my screen recorded?
No. The screen is read only when you press the shortcut, on your own computer, and nothing is kept unless you copy or save a screenshot yourself.
Is it free?
Yes. Dictionary lookups are free, offline and unlimited. AI explanations come with a free trial.
Get AALookup
Free download
Local dictionaries work offline and without limits. AI explanations come with a free trial.
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