Before you start
- An image with clear text
Method 1 Android: Google Lens
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Step 1: Open the image
Open the photo or screenshot in Google Photos and tap Lens. Or point the camera at text and tap the Lens icon.
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Step 2: Select text
Tap Text, select what you need, and tap Copy. You can also translate or listen.
Method 2 iPhone, iPad and Mac: Live Text
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Step 1: Select the text
Open the image in Photos (or point the Camera at text and tap the Live Text icon). Press and hold a word, then drag to select.
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Step 2: Copy
Tap Copy. On a Mac, select text in Preview or Photos like normal text.
Method 3 Windows 11
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Step 1: Snipping Tool
Press Win + Shift + S and capture the area. Open the capture in Snipping Tool and click Text actions > Copy all text.
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Step 2: PowerToys Text Extractor
Install Microsoft PowerToys, turn on Text Extractor, then press Win + Shift + T and drag over any text on screen. It’s copied to the clipboard.
Method 4 Long documents: Google Docs
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Step 1: Upload to Drive
Upload the image or PDF scan to Google Drive.
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Step 2: Open with Docs
Right-click it > Open with > Google Docs. The text appears below the image, ready to edit.
Troubleshooting
Handwriting isn’t recognised well
Google Lens handles neat handwriting best. Typing it out may be faster for messy notes.
Text actions is missing in Snipping Tool
Update Snipping Tool from the Microsoft Store.
Frequently asked questions
Is OCR free?
Yes, all the methods here are free.
Can it read other languages?
Google Lens and Live Text support many languages and can translate too.
Summary
Use Google Lens on Android, Live Text on Apple devices, Snipping Tool or PowerToys Text Extractor on Windows, and Google Docs for long scanned documents.
