How to Extract Text from an Image Using OCR

Before you start

• An image with clear text

Method 1 Android: Google Lens

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   Step 2: Copy

   Tap Copy. On a Mac, select text in Preview or Photos like normal text.

Method 3 Windows 11

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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

1. 1

   Step 1: Upload to Drive

   Upload the image or PDF scan to Google Drive.

2. 2

   Step 2: Open with Docs

   Right-click it > Open with > Google Docs. The text appears below the image, ready to edit.

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Summary