Jarq: a Mac text translator that works where you write

What does Jarq actually do?

Jarq is a Mac menu-bar app that helps you translate and edit text inside the application you already use. Highlight an email draft, choose a language or writing action, review the answer and insert it in place. You can also speak instead of typing. The website provides downloads and guidance; the everyday workflow happens in the installed desktop app.

It suits people who regularly reply across languages or polish messages in Mail, Slack and documents. Jarq describes support for 13 languages, with English, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German among its examples. Check your required language pair in the app; a complete per-feature language matrix was not verified.

Translate a selection without a copy-and-paste round trip

A dot appears beside selected text. Hover over it to open the actions, choose a translation or edit, then inspect the answer bubble. Insert replaces the selection, Copy lets you reuse it elsewhere and Regenerate requests another result. Just understand lets you read a translation without changing the original.

If the dot does not appear in Figma, a terminal or Telegram, select text and press Option+T. The same shortcut opens Ask when nothing is selected. Automatic replacement is optional in Settings → Text Capture; leaving previews enabled gives you a chance to check names, numbers and tone.

Short, Fix, Formal, Friendly, Simple and Rephrase cover common writing tasks. A custom instruction can become its own button. The official guide describes preserving Notion headings and lists, Slack mentions and Google Docs fonts; this is not evidence of a general file-conversion service.

Set up a first translation or voice reply

Jarq requires an Apple Silicon Mac, M1 or newer, running macOS 13 Ventura or later. Download the disk image, drag Jarq into Applications and open that copy. Grant Accessibility so it can read selected text and insert results. Microphone access is needed only for dictation.

Set your translation pair and preferred buttons, then try an ordinary draft. For voice input, focus a text field, press Option plus the backtick key, speak and press it again. Punctuated text appears at the cursor; Escape cancels. You can remap shortcuts or enable push-to-talk. Read important output before sending it, since fluent wording can still change the intended meaning.

Local dictation and cloud processing have different boundaries

Download the optional 632 MB speech model under Settings → Dictation → Where your voice goes → On this Mac. Same-language dictation then works offline and remains free and unlimited on every plan. Translation, text actions and Ask still use the cloud. Speaking one language and requesting another sends recognized text for translation even when speech recognition is local.

The privacy policy says Jarq does not retain audio or selected text on its servers or use them for model training. Cloudflare or Groq processes cloud requests. History stays on the Mac, with up to 500 entries and controls to disable or delete it. Installation, device-name and usage records are still retained, so local history does not mean the entire service is offline.

Free usage, subscriptions and the Lifetime option

Checked October 7, 2026: the pricing page advertises a 14-day Pro trial without a card or account, followed by five daily dictations or translations on Free. Local dictation is not counted. Displayed tax-inclusive USD prices are $4.99 monthly, $39 yearly and a $179 Lifetime launch offer against $200. A paid licence covers up to two Macs.

Paid use has a fair-use ceiling of 2,000 actions per calendar month per licence. The terms define Lifetime as the operational lifetime of the product, including future major versions. The pricing FAQ and terms give inconsistent cancellation wording; confirm the current checkout and terms before buying.

Common questions

What if the selection buttons do not appear?

Use Option+T with text selected and check Accessibility permission. This is the documented fallback for apps such as Figma and terminals.

Can Jarq translate offline?

No. Offline capability applies to same-language dictation after installing the local model. Translation and rewriting still need a connection.

Must I pay after the trial?

No. The documented Free plan continues with five daily actions, while local dictation remains unlimited. Pro raises cloud usage subject to fair use.

Official help

• Setup and troubleshooting: permissions, shortcuts and the local model.
• How the text actions work: previews, insertion and formatting.
• Contact Jarq: technical, licence, billing and data requests.