Verbatim

An offline-first macOS menu-bar translator that replaces each completed sentence in place after you type ., !, or ?.

Run it

No installation is required. Start any static file server from this directory:

python3 -m http.server 4173

Then open http://localhost:4173.

Use Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + M to start or stop Macro mode. The direction button switches English → Russian and Russian → English instantly. With Macro mode off, Verbatim keeps the original and translation in a paired history.

Macro integration

Browser macros and automation tools can call a stable page API:

window.Verbatim.start();
window.Verbatim.stop();
window.Verbatim.toggle();
window.Verbatim.swap();
window.Verbatim.state();

Startup state can also be controlled from the URL:

• ?macro=1&direction=en-ru
• ?macro=1&direction=ru-en
• ?macro=0 to open with replacement disabled

Verbatim translates common phrases with an on-device phrasebook, then attempts broader translation through MyMemory. The interface itself can also be switched between English and Russian.

Native macOS Tahoe helper

The Swift menu-bar helper in Sources/VerbatimMac extends sentence replacement to accessible text fields in other macOS applications.

• Watches globally for ., !, or ?.
• Reads the sentence immediately before the insertion point through macOS Accessibility.
• Translates it with Apple's Translation framework.
• Replaces the original sentence in place.
• Lists every language supported by Apple Translation, sorting languages from installed keyboard/input sources first.
• Can follow the current keyboard automatically: switching between the selected two keyboard languages reverses translation direction without opening Verbatim.
• Runs without a dock icon and offers quick language swapping from the menu bar.

Offline behavior

The native helper does not use MyMemory, another translation website, or an API key. Text is translated on the Mac using Apple's installed Translation models.

Before using a language pair, download both languages in:

System Settings → General → Language & Region → Translation Languages

Enable On-Device Mode there as well. Internet access is needed only for that one-time model download from Apple. Once the model is installed, normal translation and cross-application replacement work offline. The menu reports whether the selected pair is offline-ready or needs a download.

Keyboard/input-source languages and Translation languages are separate. Installing a keyboard layout makes it appear near the top of Verbatim's list, but Apple must also support the language and its Translation model must be downloaded.

Build

This helper targets macOS 26 Tahoe:

chmod +x scripts/build-macos-app.sh
./scripts/build-macos-app.sh
open dist/Verbatim.app

The first launch may require Accessibility approval under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. On some configurations, macOS may additionally request Input Monitoring permission for observing punctuation globally. Some secure fields, terminal emulators, games, and applications with incomplete Accessibility text support may not permit replacement.

Contributing and security

Contributions are welcome; see CONTRIBUTING.md. Report vulnerabilities privately according to SECURITY.md. Verbatim is available under the MIT License.