how to Copy Text from a Picture on Phone and Laptop: A Step-by-Step Guide

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how to Copy Text from a Picture on Phone and Laptop: A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s digital world, we often come across information in image format, like scanned documents, photos, or screenshots. Copying text directly from these images can save time, especially when you need to quote text or extract details quickly. Fortunately, there are easy methods and tools to copy text from a picture on both your phone and laptop. This guide covers several ways to extract text from images on both devices.

How to Copy Text from a Picture on Your Phone

Let’s start with mobile methods for both Android and iOS devices.

1. Using Google Photos (Android and iOS)

Google Photos offers a simple way to extract text from images using its Google Lens feature. Here’s how:

  1. Open Google Photos: Install Google Photos from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store if you don’t have it already.
  2. Select the Image: Open the app and locate the image containing the text you want to copy.
  3. Tap on Lens Icon: Tap on the Google Lens icon at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Copy Text: Google Lens will identify the text within the image. Select “Text” and then tap “Copy text” to copy it to your clipboard.

Benefits: This method is quick and works well for most images, whether printed documents, screenshots, or handwritten notes.

2. Using Apple’s Live Text (iOS Only)

Apple introduced the Live Text feature for iPhones running iOS 15 and later, allowing users to copy text directly from images. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Photos App: Open your Photos app and select the picture with the text you want to copy.
  2. Tap on the Text: iOS will recognize the text automatically. Tap and hold on the text to select it.
  3. Copy the Text: Once the text is selected, tap “Copy” to add it to your clipboard.

Note: Live Text works on iPhone models from iPhone Xs and newer.

Benefits: It’s fast, easy, and doesn’t require additional apps for iPhone users.

3. Using Microsoft Office Lens (Android and iOS)

Microsoft Office Lens is a great tool that converts images of documents into editable and shareable text. Here’s how:

  1. Download Office Lens: Install Microsoft Office Lens from the Play Store or App Store.
  2. Capture or Upload an Image: Open the app and capture a new image or upload an existing picture with text.
  3. Select ‘Text’ or ‘Document’ Mode: Office Lens will scan the image and extract the text.
  4. Copy the Text: Once the text is extracted, you can select and copy it to your clipboard or save it as a document.

Benefits: This tool is highly effective for converting scanned documents into editable text.

How to Copy Text from a Picture on Your Laptop

For laptop or desktop users, here are the best methods to copy text from an image.

1. Using Google Keep

Google Keep offers a built-in OCR feature that lets you copy text from images easily. Here’s how:

  1. Open Google Keep: Go to keep.google.com and log in to your Google account.
  2. Upload the Image: Click on “New Note with Image” and upload the image containing the text.
  3. Extract Text: Click on the image, then select “Grab Image Text.” Google Keep will extract the text from the image and paste it into your note.

Benefits: It’s free, quick, and accessible on any web browser.

2. Using Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote offers a reliable OCR feature to copy text from images. Follow these steps:

  1. Open OneNote: Open OneNote on your laptop and create a new note.
  2. Insert the Image: Upload the image containing the text.
  3. Right-click and Copy Text: Right-click on the image and select “Copy Text from Picture.” The text will be copied to your clipboard, ready to paste.

Benefits: OneNote is versatile and works well for various types of text, even handwritten notes in some cases.

3. Using Online OCR Websites

Several online OCR (Optical Character Recognition) websites allow you to upload images and extract text without installing additional software. Here’s how:

  1. Visit an OCR Website: Popular options include OnlineOCR or FreeOCR.
  2. Upload the Image: Select the image file from your computer and upload it to the website.
  3. Convert and Download: Click on “Convert” or “Recognize” to process the image, then download or copy the extracted text.

Note: For security, avoid using online OCR tools with sensitive or confidential images.

Benefits: These websites are free and work with most image formats.

4. Using Adobe Acrobat (for PDF Images)

If you have a PDF with embedded images, Adobe Acrobat has a built-in OCR feature to copy text from the images. Here’s how:

  1. Open the PDF: Open your PDF document in Adobe Acrobat (you may need Adobe Acrobat Pro for OCR).
  2. Enable OCR: Click on “Tools,” then select “Recognize Text” and choose “In This File.”
  3. Copy the Text: Adobe Acrobat will process the PDF, making the text selectable and ready to copy.

Benefits: Adobe Acrobat is excellent for large PDFs with text embedded in images or scanned documents.

Conclusion

Copying text from images has become a simple process, thanks to the advancement of OCR technology across multiple platforms. Whether you’re on your phone or laptop, you can find a method that suits your device and needs. Using Google Photos, Live Text, and Microsoft OneNote are highly recommended for their efficiency and accuracy. Try these methods out and save yourself the time and hassle of manually typing text from images

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