OpenClip
OpenClip is a macOS text utility that shows actions when you select text, helping you transform, search, calculate, and reuse content faster.
What is OpenClip?
OpenClip is a native macOS utility for working with selected text directly where you are already writing or reading. When you highlight text in another app, it opens a floating action bar so you can copy, transform, calculate, search, or send the selection into other tools without switching windows. It is designed for people who edit text often, including writers, developers, researchers, and general Mac users who want faster text workflows. OpenClip also supports a command palette, installable extensions, and custom actions created with scripts and automation tools. The app runs on macOS 14 or later and integrates with system features such as Accessibility so it can detect selected text across apps. OpenClip is published by Matej Baco and is available as a free, open-source Mac app.
Key features
- Show a floating action bar when you select text in other apps
- Copy, reformat, transform, and calculate with selected text
- Search or process text without switching away from the current app
- Open a command palette for keyboard-driven actions
- Install extensions to add more text tools and workflows
- Create custom actions with JavaScript, AppleScript, or shell scripts
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Safety overview
Status: Mostly safe
OpenClip uses macOS Accessibility access to detect selected text and show actions next to your cursor, which is a normal permission for this kind of utility. Because that permission can observe text selection activity across apps, use it only if you want its cross-app features and review what other text-processing or AI actions you enable inside the app. Downloading it from the official site helps reduce the chance of installing an altered build.
Recommendation: Keep OpenClip if you use text-expansion, formatting, search, or selection-based automation on your Mac. If you do not use its text tools, you can remove it like any other app; its main convenience features will stop working until you reinstall it.
Common paths
/Applications/OpenClip.app
Cache paths
~/Library/Caches/com.openclip.OpenClip
Support paths
~/Library/Application Support/OpenClip
Preference paths
~/Library/Preferences/com.openclip.OpenClip.plist
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