Updates

1.3.0

Rewind dialogue with Time Machine

Enable Time Machine in Settings to keep recent game and video frames in memory. Termy captures at most one frame per second and skips duplicates when the recognized text has not changed. Open the overlay and press Left/Right or D-pad Left/Right to move through the available dialogue; words in earlier frames remain fully interactive. Free users can rewind up to 10 seconds and subscribers up to 120 seconds, with unlimited sessions. Longer histories use more RAM and may increase CPU usage.

Better recognition, including vertical text

Text recognition is more accurate and can now handle vertical English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese—especially useful for manga. Install the optional Vertical Text model in Settings when you need it. Detected text lines are now highlighted by default, so you can immediately see what Termy found.

The right language for each capture

If the selected language clearly does not match the text on screen, Termy now uses the detected language for that capture—or only for the clicked word—and shows a notice beside the Termy icon. Mixed or ambiguous text keeps your selected language, and the setting itself never changes.

See how Chinese, Japanese, and Korean words are built

AI explanations for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean words can now break a term into morphemes and show the role and meaning of each part.

Faster from capture to bubble

Text recognition and server requests complete faster, while bubble animations now adapt to your monitor’s refresh rate for smoother motion.

Control an open bubble from the keyboard

When a bubble is open, press A to play audio, S to toggle saving the word in Vocabulary, or Tab to switch between its translation and explanation. Use Up/Down on the keyboard or D-pad Up/Down on a gamepad to resize the text. Ctrl/Cmd +/− and Ctrl + mouse wheel still work too.

Richer word details, with more privacy control

Bubbles now show each word’s part of speech, and IPA pronunciation is matched to the appropriate part of speech. You can also turn off saving screenshots with vocabulary words in Settings → Shortcut.

Updates that explain themselves

Automatic updates are more reliable. After Termy updates, it shows a notification; click it to open these release notes and see what changed.

Windows

  • Horizontal recognition without VRAM Standard horizontal text recognition now runs without using VRAM. The optional Vertical Text model can still use the GPU and VRAM while active.
  • Faster, more compatible in-game hooks The experimental in-game hook is more stable and efficient, and now supports Direct3D 10 and 12 alongside Direct3D 9, Direct3D 11, and OpenGL.
  • Improved DualSense support Touchpad input is more reliable, and the shortcut recorder now supports the DualSense Edge Fn and paddle buttons.
  • A smaller, more reliable installer The installer is about 30% smaller and handles installs and updates more reliably. This release also corrects the Termy icon’s brightness on HDR displays.

1.2.0

Save words your way

Use the bookmark icon in any bubble to save a word manually, or turn on “Automatically save words to vocabulary” to keep saving words as you go.

Preview bubbles as you customize them

A live bubble preview in Settings shows your appearance changes in real time.

Select words with the DualSense touchpad

Drag across the touchpad to select a word in the overlay, then press the touchpad to confirm.

Move bubbles out of the way

Drag a bubble by its word with the mouse. On a gamepad, hold L2 or R2 and move either stick.

A smoother, clearer overlay

By default, bubbles now avoid covering other highlighted words. They also animate into place and use a softer, more rounded superellipse shape.

Faster, more accurate recognition

Text recognition is faster and more accurate, with especially noticeable improvements for Japanese. Highlight regions and the context saved with vocabulary words are detected more reliably.

Bug fixes

This release also fixes a range of smaller issues.

Windows

  • Direct3D 11 in-game hook The experimental in-game hook now supports Direct3D 11 in addition to Direct3D 9 and OpenGL.
  • Settings improvements The Windows Settings interface has been refined for a smoother experience.

1.1.0

Offline dictionary

Choose “Download offline dictionary” for your learning language, then use it without making network requests.

Three usage modes

  • Prefer AI explanations: use the local dictionary only when there is no internet connection.
  • Prefer offline dictionary: use it when the word is found, otherwise ask AI.
  • Full offline mode: use only the local dictionary.

Local dictionaries are free and unlimited. Keep in mind that their explanations are often generic and overly detailed, and they are less likely to find and explain idioms.

Show pronunciation

In “Vocabulary,” hover over a word to see its pronunciation in the International Phonetic Alphabet. To show IPA in explanation bubbles, open “Settings” → “Appearance” and turn on “Show pronunciation.” It works with offline dictionaries too.

Windows

  • Experimental: In-game hook If a game has no borderless window mode and uses Direct3D 9 or OpenGL, enable this option to integrate Termy directly into the game. Termy normally displays its overlay in a separate window above the current one, which works with windowed and borderless apps but not fullscreen apps. This option is mainly useful for older games without borderless mode.
  • Automatic Ren'Py detection Termy now detects Ren'Py games automatically and does not pause them when you press the configured shortcut.

macOS

  • Improved gamepad support and bug fixes.