Built-in text tools
Translate, search, copy, cut, paste, open links, and format text without manually moving the text into another app first.
Text actions on macOS
Act on selected text without switching apps
Select text in Mail, Safari, Notes, editors, or chat apps and SwiftBiu can put actions beside the selection. Use the toolbar for visible choices, or bind a dedicated shortcut or gesture when you want one action to run directly.
Quick answer
Quick answer
SwiftBiu turns selected text into an action point on macOS. It can expose built-in copy, translation, search, formatting, AI, and plugin actions near the selection, while shortcuts and gestures can bypass the toolbar for repeated workflows.
Verified 2026-08-12
What text actions can do
AI actions
Send selected text into rewrite, polish, prompt-driven processing, or other configured AI actions from the same context layer.
Plugin workflows
Pass selected text into JavaScript plugins or richer HTML web extensions and return the result to your workflow.
Useful selected-text workflows
1
Translate a paragraph where you found it
Select a sentence or paragraph, open SwiftBiu beside the selection, and run Translate without first opening a separate translation app.
- 1. Select the text
- 2. Open the SwiftBiu action layer
- 3. Run Translate
2
Search or open selected content
Use a search engine action for a phrase, or open selected URLs directly when the selected text represents a link.
- 1. Select content
- 2. Choose Search or Open Link
- 3. Continue in the destination
3
Run one repeated action by shortcut
For workflows you repeat often, bind a compatible built-in action or plugin so the selected text can skip the toolbar and go straight to that action.
- 1. Select text
- 2. Use the assigned trigger
- 3. Receive or apply the result
Configure the toolbar around your text workflow
SwiftBiu lets you control which actions appear and how the selection toolbar is arranged, so frequent text actions can stay visible while less-used actions stay out of the way.
Read the Text actions section in the guide →
What to know about text actions
- info The available actions depend on the selected content and the actions or plugins you have enabled.
- info Direct system-wide selection triggers and some cut/paste helpers require the macOS permissions described in the setup guide.
- info External translation or AI services receive text only when you explicitly run an action that requires that service.
Text actions on Mac FAQ
Yes. Select text, open SwiftBiu beside the selection, and run the Translate action. You can also configure triggers for repeated workflows.
Yes. Compatible actions and plugins can be assigned to dedicated shortcuts or gestures so a repeated workflow can run directly.
Yes. SwiftBiuX text actions and compatible web extensions can receive selected text and return a result or show an interactive interface.
No. SwiftBiu does not collect or store selected text. External services are contacted only when you trigger an action that uses them.
Go deeper
Text actions in the User Guide
See the built-in text workflows and trigger options in context.
Text-capable plugins
Browse extensions that can process selected text.
Translate selected text on Mac
Follow a focused translation workflow from selection to result without a separate copy-and-paste step.
Build a textAction plugin
Create a SwiftBiuX action for your own selected-text workflow.
Make selected text immediately useful
Install SwiftBiu, select text in the app you are already using, and keep translation, search, AI, and plugin actions close to the selection.