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HoverLingua / Support

A little help
getting started.

Most setup issues come down to screen access or language availability. Start here, and email us if you're still stuck.

Your first translation

  1. Run HoverLingua on macOS 26 or newer.
  2. Put Hyvää huomenta! Kiitos. in another app, such as Notes or TextEdit.
  3. Choose Finnish → English. Drag the title bar and resize the window so the sentence sits inside the blue rectangle, on one display.
  4. Click Capture & Translate. Allow Screen Recording access if macOS asks. If macOS requests an app restart, quit and reopen HoverLingua, then capture again.
  5. If the app says models are missing, click Prepare Languages (the download-circle button) and allow Apple's download. Once ready, capture again or choose Translate Text.

The expected translation for this sample is “Good morning! Thank you.” Translation wording can vary with the installed model.

Screen Recording permission

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording. On some versions it is called Screen Recording. Enable Screen Recording access for HoverLingua.

HoverLingua doesn't record audio. The separate System Audio Recording Only list does not grant screen access and does not need to be enabled.

Access is enabled, but capture is still denied

Quit and reopen HoverLingua, then try capturing again. If access is still denied, remove only HoverLingua from the upper Screen & System Audio Recording list. Use + to add HoverLingua from your Applications folder, allow access, then reopen the app.

Languages need preparation, or a pair is unsupported

Use Prepare Languages with an internet connection for the initial download. Downloads are presented and managed by Apple. Supported installed pairs work on device. If a pair is unsupported, a download will not make it available; choose another pair. Vision's recognition languages and Apple's translation languages can differ.

No text was found, or the result looks wrong

Put the whole text inside the selection, choose the matching source language, and increase text size or image clarity. Keep the selection on one display. Protected content may be unavailable. Tables, handwriting, and tilted photos can be less accurate; compare the recognized source with the original before relying on the translation.

Moving, resizing, or reopening the window

Drag the native title bar above the language controls and resize at the edges. Press Command–Return to capture while the overlay is focused, or to run Translate Text while the translation window is focused. Use File → Show Overlay or Command–Shift–O to reopen it, Command–Comma to open Settings, Command–W to close the active window, and Command–Q to quit.

Live translation

Turn on the Live checkbox in the overlay to keep translating text that changes, such as subtitles or slides. HoverLingua re-reads the rectangle on the interval set in Settings → Live (1, 2, 3, or 5 seconds) and translates only when the text changes. Turn Live off with the same checkbox, or close the overlay.

Live stopped by itself, or doesn't start

Live turns off if Screen Recording access is denied, or if you choose the same source and destination language. Fix the permission or language pair, then turn it on again. Live can't start while a capture or language preparation is running. Changing the language pair while Live is on restarts it with the new pair.

Live shows “no text in the selection”

The rectangle is empty right now, for example between subtitles. The last translation stays on screen until new text appears. If text is visible but not found, see the recognition tips below.

Editing and copying text

When a capture finishes, you can correct mistakes in the recognized text, then click Translate Text to translate your edited version. You can also edit the translation. Edits stay in the window until the next capture or translation replaces them. Editing is paused while Live is on or a translation is in progress.

Use Copy above either column to put that text on your clipboard. Tables are copied as tab-separated text, so they paste into a spreadsheet as columns.

Listening to text

Click Listen above either column to hear it read aloud, and click Stop to end it. Only one column plays at a time. HoverLingua uses the voices installed on your Mac, and changes speed and voice in Settings → Speech.

Listen is greyed out

Listen needs some text in the column, plus an installed voice for that column's language. Hover over the button to see why it isn't available. To add a voice, open System Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content, or click Get More Voices… in Settings → Speech. Enhanced and Premium voices sound more natural.

Settings

Open HoverLingua → Settings (Command–Comma):

  • Languages lists the languages Apple reports as installed for translation. Use Prepare Languages in the overlay to download a pair, then click Refresh.
  • Live sets how often Live checks for new text.
  • Speech sets the speaking speed (50%–150%) and the voice for each language. Automatic picks the best installed voice. Use Preview to hear a sample.
  • Privacy controls Share anonymous usage data. It is on by default, never includes your text, and can be turned off at any time. See the privacy policy for details.
Translation is taking too long

Cancel the current operation, check whether the selected pair needs model preparation, and retry with a smaller region. If the issue repeats with installed models, send us the app version, macOS version, language pair, and the error category or message. You don't need to include your captured text.

Still need a hand?

developer@rinda.co

Include your app version, macOS version, language pair, and the steps that reproduce the problem. Redact any private information from attachments.