Learn 3 easy methods to extract text from images using online OCR tools, Google Lens, and iPhone's Live Text feature, without any software downloads.
Last updated
We often come across several images containing valuable information during our regular online browsing sessions. Editing or copying text in such images isn’t possible, because it is formatted in an image that computers can’t recognize as the text. Doing it manually is similar to climbing a hill without shoes.
Fortunately, there are ways through which you can extract text from any photo you encounter online. I’ll discuss three methods, and guess what? All of them offer free access and don’t require their users to go through any complex signup procedure. Let’s explore these methods in detail below.
Let’s start with a method that most people find easy and quick. In this method, you will need to use an online OCR tool online. However, finding the right tool can be challenging due to big competition.
One can easily be confused by different tools claiming to be the best. Don’t take their word for it; instead, you should test the tool yourself to see if it can meet your requirements. Paying attention to the following points may be helpful in choosing the right tool:
Does it support your preferred language? For instance, if you want to extract a Spanish text, the recommended approach is to opt for a tool that can handle images having Spanish text.
Is there any restriction to access the tool? Some tools require its users to register for an account before allowing them to perform image-to-text extraction. Always opt for a tool that doesn’t have such restrictions.
Check if it can extract text from the URL of the image. This feature is useful for those who want to avoid downloading the image.
Look for the technology that the tool uses. The combination of artificial intelligence and OCR technologies is a big plus. Don’t settle for anything less than this.
Does it allow downloading the output as a text file? This feature comes in handy especially when the image contains lengthy text pieces, and you need to store it as a text file.
These are some of the points that can help you pick the right OCR tool. After you have picked the tool, you need to complete a few easy steps, which are as follows:
Access the tool online
Upload the image into the tool using the provided upload options; you can either upload directly from your device or paste the URL of the image if it’s available online.
Hit the ‘’Extract’’ button
The tool will take some time (a few seconds) to process and convert the provided image into text that you can copy or download in a text file.
Let’s give you a real-time example. Prepostseo image to text converter is the OCR tool you’ll see in the following demonstration. I found this tool to be more effective than the others I tested. So, let’s put it to the test.
Here’s the image I’ll upload into the tool:
Upon hitting the ‘’Extract’’ button of the tool, here’s what the tool returns with:
The tool does it smartly without skipping any word or information. This proves that text extraction through an online tool works, and I can confidently suggest this method to anyone looking for a quick solution to perform image-to-text conversions.
This is another quick method you can consider. It’s quick and free. The only downside is that it won’t automatically save the extracted text in a text file. You’ll have to do it manually.
Let’s find out what you’ll need to do to:
Browse Google.com
Hit the ‘’Camera’’ icon appearing at the right side of the Google search bar.
You will see different uploading options the moment you hit the icon. Upload the image using your preferred option, which could be drag-and-drop, paste the image URL, or upload the image directly from your device.
Google Lens will immediately make the text clickable as you upload the image. Click on the selected text, and a ‘’Copy’’ button will appear. Click on it. Congrats, you’ve successfully extracted text from the image.
This is what it takes to extract text from images through Google Lens. The following is the snippet of the image I accessed through Google Lens on my computer:
In addition to extracting text from an image, Google Lens also allows you to translate the text present in the image into any language, which can be a handy option for those who need to extract text in multiple languages.
The process is even more effortless on a mobile phone, especially the Android device. You just need to:
View the image using the built-in image editor
Hit ‘’…’’ appearing at the bottom left of the menu options
Scroll down and tap on ‘’Google Lens’’
Select the part of the text you want to extract and tap again, a ‘’copy’’ option will appear. Tap on it.
This is how one can extract text from an image on their Android phone.
The procedure is pretty much the same for iOS users. The latest iPhone models and iOS versions come with a built-in feature called ‘’Live Text,’’ which allows you to interact with the content present in a photo and video. The following are the steps you’ll need to perform:
Go to the Settings
Scroll down and hit ‘’General’’
Enable ‘’Live Text’’ feature by going into ‘’Language and Region’’
Open the ‘’Photos’’ app
Choose the picture you want to extract text from
Touch and hold any part of the text, the ‘’copy’’ command will appear, select the part you want to copy and hit ‘’Copy.’’
This is what it takes to copy text from an image on an iOS device. Here’s the demonstration of the ‘’Live Text’’ feature in action:
Being able to extract text from an image is a useful skill. However, most people don’t know how to quickly turn an image into shareable text. Bearing this in mind, I’ve discussed 3 methods that you can consider to effortlessly perform image-to-text conversions. The first method involves using an image-to-text converter online, and the second method suggests utilizing Google Lens. The third method is for iPhone users. All of these methods are easy and quick. You won’t have to download or install any software or go through any complex procedure.
