You can extract text from a photo using built-in tools on most phones and computers, or free online services if you prefer not to install anything

Most modern phones and computers have a feature that reads text out of images — no special app needed. On iPhones and iPads, it's called Live Text. On Android phones, Google Lens does this. On Windows computers, the Snipping Tool has this built in. On Mac, you can use the system screenshot tool. These tools work by recognizing the shapes of letters in the photo and converting them to text you can copy and paste.

The process is straightforward: take or open a photo, select the text recognition feature, highlight the words you want, and copy them. The text then goes into your clipboard, ready to paste into an email, document, or anywhere else. This guide walks through how to do it on each device, plus what to do if you don't want to use your device's built-in tools.

Key Takeaways

  • iPhones and iPads have Live Text built in — tap the sparkle icon on a photo and drag to select the text you want to copy.
  • Android phones use Google Lens, which you open from the camera app or Google app, then tap the text icon to select and copy words.
  • Windows computers have text recognition in the Snipping Tool — open it, take a screenshot of the area with text, then click the text icon.
  • Mac computers can extract text from screenshots using the built-in markup tools after you take a screenshot with Command-Shift-4.
  • Free online services like Google Lens web version and Tesseract work if you prefer not to use your device's native tools.

How to copy text from a photo on iPhone or iPad

Open the Photos app and select the image that contains the text you want to copy. Tap the sparkle icon (✨) in the bottom right corner of the photo — this activates Live Text. The text in the image will become selectable.

Tap and drag across the words you want to copy. A blue highlight will appear over the text as you select it. Once you've selected what you need, tap Copy from the menu that appears. The text is now in your clipboard and ready to paste into Notes, Mail, Messages, or any other app.

If the sparkle icon doesn't appear, your photo may not contain readable text, or your device may be running an older version of iOS or iPadOS. Live Text works on iPhone XS and newer, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) and newer, all running iOS 15 or later.

How to copy text from a photo on Android

Open Google Lens by launching your Camera app and tapping the Lens icon (usually in the bottom left), or by opening the Google app and tapping the Lens icon at the bottom. Point your camera at the text or open an existing photo by tapping the image icon in the search bar.

Once the image is displayed, look for the text icon (usually marked with "T" or "ABC") at the bottom of the screen. Tap it to activate text recognition. The text in the image will become selectable. Tap and drag to highlight the words you want, then tap Copy. The text goes into your clipboard.

Google Lens is built into most Android phones running Android 6.0 and newer. If you don't see the Lens icon in your camera app, you can download the Google Lens app separately from the Google Play Store.

How to copy text from a photo on Windows

Open the Snipping Tool (search for it in the Windows search bar). Click New, then drag to select the area of your screen that contains the text you want to copy. Release the mouse to capture the screenshot.

Once the screenshot appears in the Snipping Tool window, look for the text icon in the toolbar at the top — it usually looks like a "T" or "ABC". Click it to activate text recognition. The text in your screenshot will become selectable. Click and drag to highlight the words you want, then right-click and select Copy.

The Snipping Tool is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you're using an older version of Windows, you can use the free online tool Google Lens web version instead (see the section below on online services).

How to copy text from a photo on Mac

Take a screenshot of the area containing the text by pressing Command-Shift-4, then drag to select the region. A thumbnail will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click it to open the screenshot in the markup editor.

In the markup window, click Tools in the top menu, then select Text Recognition. The text in your screenshot will become selectable. Click and drag to highlight the words you want, then press Command-C to copy them to your clipboard.

Text recognition in Mac's markup tools is available on macOS 10.15 (Catalina) and newer. If you're using an older Mac, you can use a free online service instead.

Using free online services if you prefer not to use your device's tools

Google Lens has a web version at lens.google.com. Upload a photo or paste an image URL, then click the text icon to activate recognition. Select and copy the text the same way you would on your phone.

Tesseract is another free option — it's open-source software that recognizes text in images. You can use it through web interfaces like Tesseract.js (tesseract.projectnaptha.com) without installing anything. Upload your image, wait for it to process, and copy the recognized text from the results.

These online services work on any device with a web browser, including older computers and phones. The trade-off is that you're uploading your image to a server, so avoid using them for photos containing sensitive information like receipts with credit card numbers or documents with personal details.

What to do when text recognition doesn't work

Text recognition works best on clear, straight-on photos with good lighting and readable fonts. If your photo is blurry, taken at an angle, or uses a decorative font, the tool may not recognize the text accurately or at all.

Try taking a new photo with better lighting and a straight angle to the text. If the text is very small, zoom in on the photo before activating text recognition. If the font is unusual or handwritten, built-in tools often struggle — in that case, an online service like Google Lens sometimes performs better, though results vary.

If none of these work, you may need to type the text manually. This is slower but guarantees accuracy for important documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does text recognition work on handwritten text?

Most built-in tools struggle with handwriting. Google Lens and Tesseract sometimes recognize neat handwriting, but accuracy is not may provide. For important handwritten documents, manual typing is more reliable.

Can I copy text from a screenshot I already took?

Yes. On iPhone, open the screenshot in Photos and use Live Text. On Android, open it in Google Lens. On Windows, open the Snipping Tool and use the text icon. On Mac, click the screenshot thumbnail and use the markup tools.

Is my image data stored when I use these tools?

Built-in tools on your phone or computer process images locally — they don't send your photo anywhere. Online services like Google Lens web version and Tesseract.js do upload your image to their servers, so avoid them for sensitive photos.

What if the text comes out garbled or wrong?

Poor lighting, blurry photos, and unusual fonts cause recognition errors. Take a clearer photo and try again. If the text is still wrong, try a different service — Google Lens and Tesseract sometimes handle difficult images differently.

Can I copy text from a video screenshot?

Yes. Take a screenshot of the video frame using your device's screenshot tool, then use text recognition on the resulting image the same way you would for a photo.