Translate on Mac Without Internet: Set It Up Once
Published · 5 min read
Your Mac can translate with no connection, but only if you act while you are online. Open Translation Languages in System Settings, download both languages, then select text in an app, Control-click and choose Translate. Siri and Safari still need internet. Bilinguine adds a hotkey on macOS 26 and later; its first launch needs Open Anyway.
Which route fits your Mac?
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| macOS 12 to 15, or you want nothing to install | Built-in Control-click method (steps) |
| macOS 26 and you translate many selections a day | Built-in setup, plus a hotkey tool such as Bilinguine (details) |
| Safari page translation or Siri on a plane | Not possible offline, per Apple (why) |
Set it up once: the built-in method
You need a connection one time, to fetch the language files. The full walkthrough, with the language list and what to do when a download fails, is in downloading languages for offline translation on Mac. In short:
- Open Translation Languages (the path for your macOS version is in the table below) and click Download next to the source and target languages. A pair needs both sides.
- Optional: tick On-Device Mode.
- Select text in an app, Control-click it (hold Control and click), and choose Translate followed by the selected text.
In the panel you pick the source and target languages, play the translation aloud, copy it, or, in an editable field, click Replace with Translation. Apple also says you can translate text in an image with Live Text.
Where the languages live on each macOS version
Apple's Mac User Guide has a separate version of its translation page for each macOS release. Offline languages and On-Device Mode appear already in the version for macOS 12 Monterey. The last column comes from Bilinguine's own requirements.
| macOS | Where the languages are | Bilinguine runs |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Monterey | System Preferences > Language & Region > Translation Languages | No |
| 13 to 15 | System Settings, Translation Languages in the Language & Region pane (from Apple's guides for macOS 13 and the current one) | No |
| 26 | System Settings > General > Language & Region > Translation Languages | Yes |
On macOS 12 to 15 the built-in method is the option on this page. Bilinguine uses a translation interface that exists only in macOS 26 and later.
On-Device Mode: processing on the Mac, even online
Downloaded languages are enough to work offline. On-Device Mode adds one thing: translation is processed on the Mac even when it is connected to the internet. Apple's wording is to select On-Device Mode to process translations on your Mac, even when connected to the internet.
Apple's own note on accuracy applies to both: offline translations may be less accurate than translations processed using Apple servers. For the gist of a message or a web page that is fine. For a contract or a medical note, compare the result with a second source or a person.
Siri and Safari never translate offline
Apple's guide states that Siri and Safari always process translations online. If you rely on Safari's page translation, it will not work on a plane. Paste the text into another app instead and use Control-click there.
Apple also says translation works in different apps on Mac, "including some third-party apps", and does not list them. If the item is missing in an app you use, try a tool that works on selected text, described in the next section.
Which languages are available
On macOS 26.6.2, Apple Translation lists 22 languages, from Arabic to Chinese. The full list with language codes is in downloading languages for offline translation on Mac. Your own Translation Languages window shows what you can download on your Mac.
Want a key instead of Control-click?
Apple's guide describes no shortcut for Translate. On macOS 26.6.2, the Services list in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts has no Apple translation item. Translating selected text with a keyboard shortcut covers that gap in detail.
Bilinguine is a free Mac translator by usbun, the studio behind this site. It uses Apple Translation and the system dictionaries on the device, so it works with the languages you downloaded above. Select text in any app, press Control-Option-T (the default, configurable), and the translation appears. It uses Apple Translation, so quality should match Apple's own; what changes is how quickly you reach it. It also offers:
- paragraphs and indentation kept, and dictionary entries for a single word;
- a menu bar icon and a history;
- a window you can pin.
Before you try it:
- It requires macOS 26 (Tahoe) or newer, on Apple silicon or Intel. It does not run on older versions.
- It is not notarized by Apple, so the first launch is blocked. Try to open it once, then go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, click Open Anyway, and click Open at the second warning, as Apple's page describes. Do this only for software you trust. After that it opens normally.
- The code is closed, not open source.
Download and details: bilinguine.usbun.com. Other options are compared in best offline translators for Mac. If you plan to travel, install it before you leave, because the first launch needs the Open Anyway step.
Test it with Wi-Fi off before you travel
- Open Translation Languages and confirm that both the language you read and the language you write show as downloaded.
- Switch Wi-Fi off.
- Select a sentence in an app, Control-click it, and choose Translate.
- Confirm the panel returns a result. If it does not, go back online and download the missing language.
What was checked
On macOS 26.6.2 (October 2026) the Translation Languages list showed 22 languages, and the Services list in Keyboard Shortcuts had no Apple translation item. The statements about Siri, Safari, accuracy and older macOS versions come from Apple's guide and were not tested.
Sources
- Apple, Translate text on Mac (Mac User Guide, versions for macOS 12, 13 and 26): https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchldd8b3c15
- Apple, opening a blocked app (Privacy & Security, Open Anyway): https://support.apple.com/102445
- Apple, macOS feature availability: https://www.apple.com/macos/feature-availability/
- Bilinguine: https://bilinguine.usbun.com