WinLens brings the power of Google Lens to your Windows desktop. This tool detects and translates text from any part of your screen. You select an area, and the application displays the translated text in place. It works with images, videos, documents, or games.
You need a computer running Windows 10 or Windows 11.
- Processor: Modern dual-core processor or better.
- Memory: 4 GB of RAM.
- Storage: 100 MB of disk space.
- Internet: An active connection for translation services.
- Graphics: DirectX 9 or newer.
You can download the application from the project release page.
- Visit the WinLens Release Page to download.
- Find the latest version under the "Assets" section.
- Choose the file ending in
.exe. - Save the file to your computer.
- Double-click the downloaded file to start the installer.
- Follow the instructions on the screen to finish the setup.
- Launch the application from your desktop shortcut or Start menu.
Open the application after the installation finishes. You will see a small icon in your system tray near the clock.
- Right-click the tray icon to start the capture mode.
- Click and hold your left mouse button to draw a box around the text you want to translate.
- Release the mouse button.
- The application reads the text inside the box.
- A window appears with the translated text.
- You can copy this text to your clipboard for use elsewhere.
- Instant Translation: Point and click to translate foreign languages.
- Area Selection: Capture specific parts of your screen to avoid clutter.
- OCR Integration: The tool uses optical character recognition to read pixels as text.
- Lightweight Design: The app runs in the background and uses very little memory.
- Language Support: It detects dozens of languages from around the world.
Does this app store my data? No. WinLens processes your screen capture locally and sends the text to the translation engine. It does not store images or personal data on a server.
How do I update the software? When a new version exists, you can return to the release page and download the newest installer. Running the installer will overwrite the old version and keep your settings.
Can I pick a default language? Yes. Open the settings menu by right-clicking the tray icon and selecting "Preferences." You can choose your primary target language there.
What happens if the text is hard to read? The tool works best with clear, high-contrast text. If the software struggles, try to enlarge the text area or adjust your screen brightness.
Do I need an account to use this? No. You do not need to sign in or create an account. Open the app and start working.
If the software does not behave as expected, follow these checks:
- No text detected: Ensure the text area is within the screen bounds. If the text is very blurry or uses a stylized font, the tool might fail to recognize it.
- App fails to start: Check if your Windows version is up to date. Sometimes, missing system updates prevent apps from launching.
- Internet issues: The translation service relies on an internet connection. If your connection drops, the app cannot translate text. Check your network status and try again.
- Performance: If the screen capture feels slow, close other programs that use significant system resources.
If you encounter a bug or have a suggestion, open an issue on the GitHub repository. Provide a description of what you see and tell us which version of Windows you run. This helps verify the problem. The community monitors these reports to improve the software.