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Meikipop stores all settings in config.ini in the application directory. You can edit this file directly or use the Settings dialog (right-click tray icon → Settings).

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Configuration file structure

The config.ini file is organized into two main sections: 
[Settings]
# Core functionality settings

[Theme]
# Appearance and display settings

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Settings section

These options control meikipop’s core functionality and behavior.

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hotkey

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hotkey
string
default:"shift"
The keyboard shortcut that triggers dictionary lookups.Available options:
  • shift
  • ctrl
  • alt
  • ctrl+shift
  • ctrl+alt
  • shift+alt
  • ctrl+shift+alt
Changes take effect after saving settings. No restart required.

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scan_region

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scan_region
string
default:"region"
Determines whether meikipop scans a selected region or the entire screen.Options:
  • region: Scan only a user-selected area (more efficient)
  • fullscreen: Scan the entire screen
See the region selection guide for details.

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max_lookup_length

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max_lookup_length
integer
default:"25"
Maximum number of characters to process when looking up words.Range: 5-100Higher values allow matching longer phrases but may impact performance slightly.
The default value of 25 works well for most use cases, including compound words and common phrases.

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ocr_provider

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ocr_provider
string
default:"Google Lens (remote)"
The OCR engine used to extract Japanese text from screenshots.Built-in options:
  • Google Lens (remote): Cloud-based, highly accurate (default)
  • owocr: Local OCR server (requires separate installation)
  • MeikiOCR: Alternative OCR backend
  • ScreenAI: Experimental provider
  • Dummy: Testing provider (returns mock data)
You can develop custom OCR providers. See the Custom OCR Provider guide.

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glens_low_bandwidth

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glens_low_bandwidth
boolean
default:"false"
Compresses screenshots before sending them to Google Lens.When to enable:
  • Slow internet connection
  • High latency to Google servers
  • Mobile/metered connections
Trade-offs:
  • ✅ Significantly faster OCR on slow connections
  • ✅ Reduced bandwidth usage
  • ⚠️ Slightly reduced OCR accuracy
  • ⚠️ Increased CPU usage for compression
Only available when OCR provider is set to “Google Lens (remote)“.

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auto_scan_mode

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auto_scan_mode
boolean
default:"false"
Continuously scans the screen region to provide instant lookups without pressing the hotkey.See the auto scan mode guide for detailed information.
Auto scan mode increases system load and may impact performance on slower machines.

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auto_scan_mode_lookups_without_hotkey

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auto_scan_mode_lookups_without_hotkey
boolean
default:"true"
Shows the popup automatically in auto scan mode without requiring the hotkey to be pressed.When disabled:
  • Screen is continuously scanned and cached
  • Popup only appears when you press the hotkey
  • Provides faster lookups than manual mode with similar UX
Disable this if you want the performance benefits of auto scan but prefer the traditional press-to-show behavior.

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auto_scan_interval_seconds

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auto_scan_interval_seconds
float
default:"0.0"
Minimum time (in seconds) between automatic scans.Range: 0.0-60.0Acts as a cooldown to reduce system load:
  • 0.0: Scan as frequently as possible (highest load, lowest latency)
  • 0.5: Scan every half second (balanced)
  • 2.0: Scan every 2 seconds (lower load, higher latency)
Increase this value if auto scan mode causes performance issues.

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auto_scan_on_mouse_move

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auto_scan_on_mouse_move
boolean
default:"false"
Only triggers automatic scans when the mouse cursor moves.Benefits:
  • Reduces unnecessary scans when cursor is stationary
  • Lowers system load
  • Extends battery life on laptops
Drawback:
  • Slight delay when you first move the mouse after it’s been still
Only takes effect when auto_scan_mode is enabled.

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magpie_compatibility

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magpie_compatibility
boolean
default:"false"
Applies coordinate transformations for compatibility with Magpie game scaler.Platform: Windows onlyEnable this if you use Magpie to upscale games and notice the popup appearing in the wrong location.
Magpie is a Windows tool that applies real-time upscaling to game windows.

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Theme section

These options control the visual appearance of the dictionary popup.

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theme_name

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theme_name
string
default:"Nazeka"
The name of the active color theme preset.Built-in themes:
  • Nazeka: Dark gray with cyan and green highlights (default)
  • Celestial Indigo: Deep purple with gold accents
  • Neutral Slate: Medium gray with muted green
  • Academic: Light background with dark text (high contrast)
  • Custom: User-defined colors
See themes and appearance for visual examples.

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Color settings

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color_background
hex color
default:"#2E2E2E"
Background color of the popup window.
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color_foreground
hex color
default:"#F0F0F0"
Default text color for definitions and body text.
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color_highlight_word
hex color
default:"#88D8FF"
Color for the main word (kanji/kana form).
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color_highlight_reading
hex color
default:"#90EE90"
Color for the reading/furigana text.

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background_opacity

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background_opacity
integer
default:"245"
Opacity of the popup background.Range: 50-255
  • 255: Fully opaque
  • 200: Slightly transparent
  • 50: Very transparent
Slight transparency (230-245) can make the popup feel lighter while maintaining readability.

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Typography settings

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font_family
string
default:""
Font family for popup text. Empty string uses the system default.Can be any font installed on your system. Japanese fonts recommended for best results:
  • Windows: Yu Gothic, Meiryo, MS Gothic
  • macOS: Hiragino Sans, Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro
  • Linux: Noto Sans CJK, IPAGothic
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font_size_header
integer
default:"18"
Font size in pixels for the word and reading (header).Range: 8-72
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font_size_definitions
integer
default:"14"
Font size in pixels for definitions and body text.Range: 8-72

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Display behavior

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popup_position_mode
string
default:"flip_vertically"
Controls how the popup is positioned relative to the cursor.Options:
  • flip_vertically: Flip above cursor if no space below (recommended)
  • flip_horizontally: Flip to left of cursor if no space right
  • flip_both: Flip both vertically and horizontally as needed
  • visual_novel_mode: Smart positioning optimized for reading text in thirds
Visual Novel Mode uses a sophisticated algorithm to position the popup in the least obtrusive location based on cursor position in screen thirds.
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compact_mode
boolean
default:"true"
Displays multiple definitions on a single line separated by semicolons.When enabled:
食べる [たべる] to eat; to live on; to make a living
When disabled:
食べる [たべる]
(1) to eat
(2) to live on
(3) to make a living

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Content visibility toggles

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show_all_glosses
boolean
default:"false"
Shows all definition glosses for each sense instead of just the first.Example with multiple glosses per sense:
  • Enabled: to eat, to consume, to devour
  • Disabled: to eat
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show_deconjugation
boolean
default:"false"
Displays the deconjugation process for inflected verbs and adjectives.Example:
食べた [たべた] (食べる ← past tense)
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show_pos
boolean
default:"false"
Shows part-of-speech tags in definitions.Example:
(1) (v1, vt) to eat; (2) (exp) to make a living
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show_tags
boolean
default:"false"
Displays dictionary tags (frequency, level, type) in the header.Example:
食べる [たべる] [common, jlpt-n5, v1, vt]
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show_kanji
boolean
default:"true"
Includes kanji entries in lookup results.When disabled, only vocabulary entries are shown.
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show_examples
boolean
default:"false"
Shows example words containing the kanji (only applies to kanji entries).Example:
食 [ショク, ジキ, く.う]
食, eat, food
食事 [しょくじ] meal; 食べ物 [たべもの] food
Only visible when show_kanji is enabled.
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show_components
boolean
default:"false"
Displays radical components that make up the kanji.Example:
食 [ショク, ジキ]
食, eat, food
人 person, 良 good
Only visible when show_kanji is enabled.

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Accessing the Settings dialog

1

Open the settings

Right-click the meikipop icon in your system tray and select Settings.
2

Navigate the tabs

The Settings dialog is organized into three tabs:
  • General: Core settings, auto scan, popup behavior
  • Popup Content: What information to display
  • Popup Appearance: Colors, fonts, theme presets
3

Make your changes

Adjust settings as desired. Most controls include tooltips with additional information.
4

Save your changes

Click Save to apply changes immediately. Settings are written to config.ini.
Changes take effect immediately without restarting meikipop. You can test different settings and see results in real-time.

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Configuration tips

  • Enable auto scan mode
  • Enable Google Lens compression on slow connections
  • Disable show_kanji if you only need vocabulary
  • Use compact mode
  • Reduce max_lookup_length to 15-20
  • Enable show_all_glosses
  • Enable show_deconjugation
  • Enable show_pos and show_tags
  • Enable show_examples and show_components for kanji
  • Disable compact mode
  • Disable auto scan mode
  • Use region mode instead of fullscreen
  • If using auto scan: increase auto_scan_interval_seconds
  • If using auto scan: enable auto_scan_on_mouse_move
  • Choose a high-contrast theme (Academic)
  • Increase font sizes (header: 20+, definitions: 16+)
  • Use a clear Japanese font
  • Set background_opacity to 245-255
  • Enable compact_mode for concise information

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Manual config.ini editing

You can edit config.ini directly with any text editor: 
[Settings]
hotkey = shift
scan_region = region
max_lookup_length = 25
glens_low_bandwidth = false
ocr_provider = Google Lens (remote)
auto_scan_mode = false
auto_scan_mode_lookups_without_hotkey = true
auto_scan_interval_seconds = 0.0
auto_scan_on_mouse_move = false
magpie_compatibility = false

[Theme]
theme_name = Nazeka
font_family = 
font_size_definitions = 14
font_size_header = 18
compact_mode = true
show_all_glosses = false
show_deconjugation = false
show_pos = false
show_tags = false
show_kanji = true
show_examples = false
show_components = false
color_background = #2E2E2E
color_foreground = #F0F0F0
color_highlight_word = #88D8FF
color_highlight_reading = #90EE90
background_opacity = 245
popup_position_mode = flip_vertically
Manual edits require restarting meikipop to take effect. Invalid values may cause the application to use defaults.

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