How to Copy Text From Image?

Sometimes text is locked inside images, screenshots, scanned documents, or videos, which makes it hard to copy or edit. So, extracting text from images saves time, avoids retyping mistakes, and helps you reuse information easily for work, study, or sharing purposes.

So, if you want to extract text from an image, this blog helps you understand through simple and practical ways to grab words from photos, screenshots, scanned pages, and videos. You do not need to be a tech expert. We will show step-by-step methods for phones, laptops, and browsers so you can pick what fits your routine and start copying text in seconds.

What You Need To Know Before You Start

Before you try any method, check a few basics. The image should be clear and not too small, because blur or low contrast makes it hard for the tool to read. Make sure the language in the photo matches the app you use; sometimes the tool supports dozens of languages, but not every single one.

Also, check whether the text is written in handwriting or not. Because the tool sometimes doesn’t properly recognize messy handwriting. The final and also important thing is that you must respect the privacy and copyright of the original content.

Method 1: Online Converter (Fast & Accurate)

The online picture to text converter is the easiest way to copy text from image. It works directly in your browser, which makes it a quick option to extract the text from any image.

In this approach, you simply have to post the picture on which you desire to extract the text and that is all. Then automatically, the tool scans it and converts that text to an editable format that you can either copy or share wherever you want.

How It Works In Simple Steps:

1. First of all, you need to open the image to text converter tool in your browser.
2. After that, upload the image from which you want to extract the text.
3. Then click on the ‘Convert’ button and let the tool start the extraction process.
4. Once finished, copy the extracted text and paste it anywhere you need.

The OCR tool also supports all the popular image formats, such as PNG, JPG, and screenshots. It is also capable of reading the text of handwritten notes, scanned materials, and the images captured by the camera of the mobile.

The main plus point of usiung online image to text conversion tool is that you don’t need to install or download anything. It also works on any device, such as Mac, Windows, Android, and iPhone.  Everything happens online within seconds. This method is ideal for students, bloggers, office workers, and anyone who needs quick and accurate text from images.

Method 2: The "Built-In" Smartphone Features (Easiest for Mobile)

Simple and basic text extraction nowadays comes built-in in modern smartphones. And these features work well for basic extraction.

For iPhone Users (iOS Live Text)

iPhones with Live Text let you select text inside the Camera app or Photos app.

• Step-by-step: Open the photo > Long-press on the text area > Tap Copy.

You can also point the Camera at printed text, tap the Live Text icon that appears, and copy without taking a photo. This feature works for all types of menus, signs, and books.

For Android Users (Google Lens)

Google Lens is a tool that comes on most of the Android smartphones. It helps your phone understand what’s inside an image, just like text, objects, places, or products. Due to this ability, it gives you accurate text information so that you can copy and use it anywhere.

• Step-by-step: Open Google Photos > Tap the Lens icon > Drag to select text > Tap Copy.

On the latest models of Pixel and Samsung phones, you can use the ‘Circle to Search’ function to quickly target a block of text in the camera view and then copy what you need.

Method 3: For Power Users & Frequent Screenshots

If your text extraction requirements are too heavy, then use tools that save a lot of your time, such as:

Microsoft PowerToys (Text Extractor)

PowerToys offers Text Extractor for Windows. Press Win + Shift + T, drag a selection over the screen, and it copies text immediately. It works without saving images and fits a fast workflow.

TextSniper (Mac)

TextSniper provides a similar quick selection on Mac for users who need more frequent captures than Live Text supports. It costs a little but speeds up repeated work.

Method 4: Converting Whole Documents (Best for Drive/Cloud)

When you need to turn a full page image or scanned file into editable text, cloud tools help.

Google Drive / Google Docs Method

Upload an image or scanned PDF to Google Drive. Right-click the file and choose Open With > Google Docs. Drive will place the image at the top and the extracted text below, so you can edit and format it. This method works well for long pages and bulk scans.

Microsoft OneNote

Drop an image into OneNote, right-click it, and select "Copy Text from Picture." OneNote reads the page and places editable text on the clipboard or in your note. This option suits users who store notes and documents in Microsoft’s ecosystem.

The two techniques mentioned above enable you to extract and copy text from image, retaining the original layout and formatting text the same way.

Method 5: Browser Extensions (Web Users Only)

There are also extraction extensions of text. You will have to download the extension on your browser and then use it to extract the text on web only.

Project Naptha

Project Naptha lets you highlight and copy text directly on images inside web pages, as if they were regular text. It works with many sites and saves you the trouble of saving an image first.

Copyfish

Copyfish can extract text from videos or protected pages where right click does not help. It runs OCR inside the browser and returns selectable text you can copy.

Comparison Table (Summary)

Final Tips:

Keep these small habits to get better results: crop to the text area before running OCR, rotate images so the text reads left to right, and increase contrast if the text looks faint. If you need a quick comparison of tools, try a free option first, then move to paid tools if you work with images every day.