Copy an Error Message from a Dialog on Mac
By Eduard Bruch, developer of Optic · Updated
To copy an error message from a Mac dialog that has no copy button, first try clicking the text and pressing Command-C, because some dialogs do allow it. If the text is a fixed label, use a screen OCR app to read the message off the screen and paste it into a search, a bug report or a support ticket.
Short answer: try Command-C, then check for a "Show Details" or "Report" button. When neither helps, my pick is Optic, a menu bar app that copies the text in any area you drag across the screen ($4.99, a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store).
Disclosure: I build Optic.
Why dialogs block copying
Most alerts and error windows draw their message as a static label. You cannot click into it, highlight part of it or right-click for a copy option. That is common in system alerts, installer errors and third-party app dialogs. The more technical the message, the more you need the exact text, and the more annoying it is to retype a long code or file path.
Built-in things to try first
- Command-C. Click the dialog to focus it and press Command-C. A few dialogs copy their message this way; if nothing lands on the clipboard, move on.
- Details or Report buttons. Crash dialogs often have "Show Details", "Report" or a disclosure triangle. The detailed report is usually selectable text.
- Console. For crashes, the Console app keeps crash reports you can select and copy.
- Screenshot plus Live Text. Press Shift-Command-4, drag over the dialog, open the screenshot in Preview and try selecting the text. Live Text works where Apple supports it: images in Preview, Photos, Quick Look and Safari. It does not work on arbitrary app windows, video calls or UI text, which is why it cannot read the dialog directly.
Copy the error with Optic
Leave the dialog open and read the text from the screen:
- Click the Optic icon in the menu bar.
- Choose Capture Text.
- Drag a box over the error message.
- Paste with Command-V.
Recognition runs on your Mac with Apple's Vision framework, at its accurate setting. The text goes to the clipboard with a small "Copied to clipboard" confirmation. Check codes and paths after pasting, since characters like 0 and O can look alike in some fonts.
If error text contains paths or code-like strings, Code mode in Settings helps: it turns off language correction so identifiers are not changed into dictionary words. Set line breaks to Remove if you want the whole message on one line for a search box.
What to do with the text
- Search for a fix. Paste the message into a search engine or a support forum, ideally in quotes for an exact match. Leave out parts that are unique to your Mac, such as your user name in a path.
- Bug reports and tickets. Developers and support teams can act on the exact text faster than on a description of it.
- Asking a colleague. Paste the message into chat instead of sending a blurry phone photo.
Errors that keep coming back
The last 20 captures stay in Optic's menu bar history with a small thumbnail and the time, so you can copy a message again later when you write it up. The history is stored locally on your Mac and never uploaded. For a long-term record, paste it into a note.
Where Optic does not fit
- It reads what is visible. If the full message is cut off in the dialog, Optic cannot read the hidden part. Look for a details view or a log.
- One area at a time. Long multi-screen logs are easier to copy from Console or a log file directly.
- No translation. A message in another language is copied as is; Optic recognizes 21 languages, each switchable in Settings.
- Mac only. It does not run on Windows or iPhone.
For other text that will not select, such as app labels, web app canvases and video, see copy text from anywhere on your Mac screen and what Live Text cannot do. For code and stack traces in screenshots, see copy code from a screenshot on Mac; to keep a text grabber one click away, see text recognition from the Mac menu bar.
FAQ
How do I copy text from an error popup on Mac?
Try Command-C first and look for a details button. If the text is not selectable, drag a box over it with a screen OCR app like Optic and paste.
Why can't I select text in a macOS alert?
Most alerts show their message as a fixed label that cannot be selected. Live Text does not read app windows either.
Is it safe to use screen OCR on error messages?
With Optic, recognition happens on your Mac, the app has no network access and it reads only the area you select.
Can I copy a long stack trace this way?
You can capture what fits on screen, but for long traces the crash report in Console or the app's log file is the cleaner source.