PopClip: A Super-Customizable Utility for Instant Text Actions Across Your Mac

Have you come across those quick text actions that appear when you select a piece of text on iOS or iPadOS? If you have, you know how helpful they are. For one, you can copy and paste content without even touching the keyboard.

What if you could do the same—and more—on your Mac? Well, this is what PopClip offers.

What Is PopClip?

PopClip is a productivity-focused macOS utility that brings instant text actions across macOS. So, when you select a piece of text, a number of options pop up. These options include Copy, Paste, Dictionary, Translate, etc.

At first glance, PopClip brings instant text actions that you are familiar with on iOS and iPadOS. But you get a ton of customizability that Apple’s built-in features fail to offer. In short, you have complete control over which shortcuts/actions appear when you select text.

Setting Up PopClip

Installing and setting up PopClip doesn’t take more than a few seconds. You can download PopClip from the official website or Setapp. The app has a minimal storage footprint and silently stays on the menu bar. But it may require a few permissions, including Accessibility, during setup. It may require more permissions based on the extensions you install.

Core Features

• Once installed, PopClip works across your Mac whenever you select a piece of text. However, not all text actions may be available on all apps.
• You can choose from 209 extensions in addition to standard text actions. Some of these extensions are dynamic, whereas others lead you to a third-party app or website. For instance, you can set up a Thesaurus extension to lead you to the search results for the selected word/phrase.
• Many of PopClip extensions are customizable to a great extent. For instance, you can set up a desired language for the spell-check extension. Alternatively, the Search extension lets you choose the Search URL you want.
• You get an overview of PopClip and extensions from the menu bar interface. It also lets you modify how extensions and the app behave.
• PopClip offers a well-maintained and growing collection of extensions. You can also develop a custom extension if you are a developer.

PopClip Extensions

Extensions are what make PopClip worthy of all the praise. These extensions allow you to quickly access other apps on your Mac, websites, and services. Here’s a closer look at some of the most notable extension categories:

Text Processing Extensions

When you’re formatting text or editing documents, PopClip saves you time. Instead of navigating through editing menus, you can instantly apply text effects such as bold, italic, and underline with a simple selection. Additionally, you can perform tasks like capitalizing the first letter, adding quotation marks or brackets, and removing extra spaces—all with just a few clicks.

For enhanced reading and studying, PopClip also allows you to highlight text with a single click. It supports popular note-taking and PDF reading apps like Obsidian, Evernote, and PDF Expert.

Translation Extensions

PopClip offers several translation extensions to help users working with foreign languages. For example, the Instant Translate extension allows you to see translations for selected text right on the page without leaving the app. PopClip supports various translation and dictionary services, including Microsoft, Bing, Glosbe, and Online Dictionary, making it a valuable tool for anyone who frequently deals with multilingual content.

Integration with Popular Apps

One of the standout features of PopClip is its ability to integrate with other popular apps. For instance, with the ChatGPT extension, you can quickly generate content or answer questions right from your current context. You can also use PopClip to pull up Apple Maps to search for locations, invoke Downie for video downloads, or add tasks to Todoist—all with a simple text selection.

URL Shortening

If you often share links, PopClip has a handy extension for generating short URLs. Instead of visiting a URL shortening website, you can simply select a long link, and PopClip will automatically create a shorter, shareable version. This feature saves time and keeps your workflow seamless.

Development Extensions

For developers, PopClip offers powerful tools like URL encoding/decoding, IP address lookups for selected website links, and Unix to UTC time conversion. These are just a few examples of how PopClip enhances productivity for technical tasks.

These extensions, and many others, make PopClip an essential tool for a wide range of users—from students and writers to developers and business professionals.

Pricing

PopClip is a paid app that you can purchase for $12. With the Standard License, you get two years of updates. If you need a Lifetime License with free updates for perpetuity, you must pay $25. Note that PopClip is no longer available on the Mac App Store. You can purchase and download the app directly from the official PopClip website or access it through your Setapp subscription.

Summary

Considering the flexibility it offers and the reasonable pricing, PopClip is a great investment for better speed and productivity on your Mac. The ever-growing collection of extensions is another reason to go for it.