How to copy contact details from a business card on Mac
Open a photo or scan of the card, press ⌘ ⇧ 2 and drag over it. The text is copied when you let go, and the email address, phone number and website show up as buttons in the panel: write an email, open the site or copy just the number.
How to do it with Copyable
Show the card on screen
A photo from your iPhone in Photos, a scan, or a card someone holds up in a video call. Straight on and in focus works best.
Press ⌘ ⇧ 2 and drag over the text
Select the whole card, or just the part you need.
Use the buttons, or paste
Click the email address to write to it, the link to open it, or copy the phone number on its own. The full text is in your clipboard too.
Without Copyable
The free ways, and where they stop working. If one of them covers what you need, you don’t need an app.
Live Text in Preview, Photos and Quick Look
Open the image in Preview or Photos, or select it in Finder and press Space, then drag across the text as in a document and press ⌘ C. Live Text is built into macOS and free.
Where it stops: Only in Apple’s apps and Safari. An image inside Chrome, Slack, Telegram or a PDF reader has to be saved and opened in Preview first.
Tips for business cards
- Glossy cards reflect light. Tilt the card a little when you photograph it to avoid glare on the text.
- Small grey type is the hardest part of most cards. Zoom in on the photo before you capture.
- Copyable doesn’t create contacts. Paste the details into Contacts yourself.
Questions
Does it add the person to Contacts?
No. It copies the text and offers the email address, phone number and link as buttons. Paste them into Contacts yourself.
Can it read cards in other languages?
Yes, in the languages it recognizes, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French and Spanish.
Does the photo leave my Mac?
No. Recognition happens on your Mac, and Copyable makes no network requests.
Copy text from anything on your screen
Copyable reads the text in any area you select with ⌘ ⇧ 2, on your Mac, without uploading anything. $4.99 once, plus tax where it applies. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.
Buy for $4.99