Textly Launches New macOS Tool
Textly has introduced a new application for macOS that enables users to capture text and tables from various sources on their screens, including images, videos, PDFs, and applications where text cannot be selected or copied. This tool preserves the original structure of tables during extraction and offers export options to CSV, Markdown, and TSV formats.
Functionality and Workflow
The developer describes Textly as a utility that allows users to select an area of the screen, capture the content, and either export or translate the results. Captured tables maintain their original row and column format, and users can translate text into different languages directly within the app. Additionally, a searchable clipboard history feature enables users to access previous captures for later use.
Developer Insights and Limitations
Suresh Shetty, the indie developer behind Textly, noted that the project was inspired by the frustration of having to retype text visible on the screen. Currently, Textly is available exclusively for Mac, with plans to expand to iPhone in the future. Shetty also confirmed that the app accurately preserves numeric formats, such as amounts displayed in parentheses (e.g., “(45.00)”), without converting them to negative values.
Launch Details
The product page indicates that a free trial is available, and this marks the second launch under the Textly brand. The app was officially launched on March 20, 2025. Textly aims to serve as a lightweight solution for users needing to extract non-selectable text while maintaining the integrity of table structures when transferring data into spreadsheets or other editing tools.
Original source: Product Hunt