Translate Like Me

Select text in any Mac app, press a hotkey, and the selection is replaced in place with its translation, in your own writing style.

Download for Mac Source on GitHub

Free and open source (Apache-2.0). macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon. Signed and notarized.

brew install --cask wiltodelta/tap/translate-like-me

Translate Like Me menu open under its icon in the menu bar, with two language pairs, one in your writing style and one plain

Settings, General pane with language pairs and their writing styles

What it does

Translate in placeReplaces the selected text directly, in any app. Read-only text goes to a small popup with a Copy button.
Automatic directionDetects which language of the pair you wrote in and translates to the other. Nothing to switch.
Up to three language pairsEach pair on its own global shortcut, for example Russian and English on ⌥⌘F.
Your writing style, per pairDescribe how you write, and that pair's translations sound like you. Leave it empty for a plain translation of someone else's text.
Bring your own engineClaude, ChatGPT or Grok through your existing subscription and the official CLI.
Private by designNo server, analytics or telemetry. Text goes only to the engine you picked.

Settings, Translation pane with the engine, model and effort pickers

Questions

Is Translate Like Me free?

Yes, the app is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Translations run on an engine you already use: your Claude or ChatGPT subscription through its official CLI, or Grok through its CLI and your grok.com account.

Which apps does it work in?

Any Mac app where you can select text: it copies the selection, translates it and pastes the result in its place. It needs Accessibility permission for that. If the text can't be replaced in place, for example a message you are reading, the translation goes to the clipboard and to a small popup with a Copy button.

Which languages does it support?

Every language macOS knows, from English, Spanish and Chinese to Georgian, Swahili and Welsh. The first pair is suggested from your Mac's languages and keyboard layouts. Set up to three language pairs, each on its own shortcut. The direction is detected automatically, and text in neither language of the pair is translated into the pair's first.

How does the writing style work?

Each pair can carry a free-text description of how you write, from a short line to a full voice guide, and the model applies it to that pair's translations. Leave it empty for a plain translation, for example a second pair on the same languages for someone else's text.

Where does my text go?

Only to the engine you picked: Anthropic, OpenAI or xAI, through its official CLI. The app has no server, analytics or telemetry, and the claude and codex CLIs run with session history off.

How do I install it?

Download the latest release from GitHub, or run brew install --cask wiltodelta/tap/translate-like-me. It needs macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon, is signed and notarized by Apple, and installs updates in place when you choose to.