If Pot still works on your computer, there is no need to manufacture an emergency. The reason to plan a move is maintenance risk: operating systems, provider APIs, signing requirements, and security expectations continue changing even when an application does not.
Pot’s official website says the project is no longer maintained and points visitors to Manggo. This page focuses on TranslateWindow as a macOS option and uses Pot’s official website and repository for product facts verified on August 4, 2026.
Map the workflow before replacing the app
| Need from Pot | TranslateWindow path | Migration note |
|---|---|---|
| Selection translation | Select text and open a floating result | Recreate your preferred shortcut |
| Screenshot OCR | Capture a region from the command panel | Grant macOS screen permission |
| Input translation | Use manual input or clipboard mode | Test recurring language pairs |
| Changing on-screen text | Pin a live translation region | A persistent alternative to repeated capture |
| Provider plugins | Built-in services, local model, or BYOK | Inventory providers before switching |
What may not migrate directly
Pot’s plugin ecosystem and cross-platform support are meaningful capabilities. TranslateWindow does not claim one-to-one compatibility with Pot plugins, settings, or exports, and its current supported release is for macOS 15 and later. Users who require Linux or current Windows support should evaluate another maintained cross-platform product, including the successor linked by Pot’s own site.
Write down the providers, OCR behavior, shortcuts, language pairs, and plugins you actually use. A product that matches five headline features but misses one essential provider is not a complete replacement.
What TranslateWindow adds on Mac
TranslateWindow’s live-window mode follows a changing screen region, which can replace repeated screenshots for subtitles, chats, and application panels. Reusable scenes add tone and terminology instructions for recurring work, and multi-result comparison helps when one model leaves an ambiguous choice.
A local translation model gives sensitive text a path that stays on the Mac. Cloud and bring-your-own-key services remain available when their language coverage or output is the better fit.
A low-risk migration checklist
- Keep Pot installed until the replacement has handled your real workflows for several days.
- Test selection, screenshot OCR, and every critical language pair with non-sensitive material.
- Verify provider access, rate limits, and privacy boundaries before moving confidential work.
- Recreate shortcuts carefully so two translation apps do not intercept the same key combination.
- Export or document any Pot-specific configuration you may need later.
Test the migration on one real Mac workflow
Download TranslateWindow, recreate your main shortcut, and compare selection, OCR, and live-window translation before removing anything.
Sources and verification
Product facts were checked against these first-party sources. Links open the current official documentation.