How to copy text from a remote desktop on Mac
When the clipboard between your Mac and a remote computer doesn’t work, press ⌘ ⇧ 2 and drag over the text in the remote window; Copyable copies it on your Mac when you let go. It works with Microsoft’s Windows App, Screen Sharing, VNC, Citrix, TeamViewer, AnyDesk and virtual machines.
How to do it with Copyable
Show the text in the remote session
Wait a moment for the picture to sharpen: remote sessions often send a rough image first when the screen changes.
Press ⌘ ⇧ 2 and drag over the text
Select the text in the remote window. Nothing needs to be installed on the other computer.
Paste it on your Mac
The text lands in your Mac’s clipboard, not the remote computer’s. Press ⌘ V in any app on your Mac.
Without Copyable
The free ways, and where they stop working. If one of them covers what you need, you don’t need an app.
Shared clipboard
Most remote desktop apps can share the clipboard between the two computers. Look for clipboard or redirection in the connection’s settings.
Where it stops: Administrators often turn it off, and it only copies text that can be selected in the first place.
Tips for remote sessions
- Copying data out of a work computer may be against your company’s rules even when it is technically possible. Check before you do.
- If small text comes out wrong, set the session to a higher quality or a larger scale.
- Copyable runs only on your Mac; nothing is installed on the remote computer.
Questions
Do I need to install anything on the remote computer?
No. Copyable reads your Mac’s screen.
Does it work with a virtual machine like Parallels or VMware Fusion?
Yes. The virtual machine’s window is on your screen like any other.
Can I paste the text into the remote computer?
That depends on the remote app’s clipboard sharing. Copyable puts the text in your Mac’s clipboard.
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