Any app, the gesture you already know
Keep the three-finger tap you use for the built-in Look Up, or set a keyboard shortcut. It works in every app, including the ones that never let you select text.
AALookup for macOS
Three-finger tap a word. The meaning appears next to it.
Safari, Preview, Kindle, a game, a video. Point at a word in any app, tap with three fingers, and AALookup opens beside it with the meaning this sentence is using and the full entry from your dictionaries. Free, no account, under 20 MB.
No account needed. Your dictionaries stay on your computer.
What you can do
Two permissions, asked once
Accessibility lets it read the word under your pointer. Screen Recording lets it read games, images and video. Nothing leaves your Mac until you ask for an AI explanation.
Your dictionaries and your words
Import a folder of MDict dictionaries once. Every word you look up can be saved with its sentence and reviewed later on your Mac, in the browser or on your phone.
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'm a Mac user, and the trackpad gesture alone made me download it. Lookups are fast, and it combines the strengths of dictionaries and AI. The built-in three-finger Look Up often gets the range of a Chinese word wrong; AALookup is spot-on in English and nearly always right in Chinese. Genuinely smooth.
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.
Common questions
Which Macs does it run on?
macOS 13 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel. The download is 17 MB for Apple silicon and 18 MB for Intel.
Does it replace the built-in Look Up?
It can. Hand the three-finger tap to AALookup in its settings, or keep both and give AALookup a keyboard shortcut.
Why does it ask for Screen Recording?
Only to read text that can't be selected, such as games, scanned PDFs and video. Ordinary text is read through Accessibility, so you can skip Screen Recording if you never need the rest.
Is it free?
Yes. Dictionary lookups are free, offline and unlimited. AI explanations come with a free trial, and Plus adds more.
Get AALookup
Free download
Local dictionaries work offline and without limits. AI explanations come with a free trial.
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