Skip to main content

Can I Extract Text From An Image?

by
Last updated on 4 min read

Yes, you can extract text from an image using optical character recognition (OCR) tools available on phones, computers, and online services

How do I copy text from a picture on my phone?

Open your camera app, point at the text, then use your phone’s built-in OCR feature to copy it

Here’s how it works: On most modern Android phones running One UI 5.1 or later, just open the Camera app, frame the text you want, and tap the text-highlight icon that pops up. If you’re on an iPhone with iOS 16 or later, snap the photo first, then tap the Live Text icon, drag to select your text, and hit Copy. Both approaches let you paste that text anywhere—notes, messages, documents, you name it.

How can I extract text from a picture on my phone?

Use your phone’s built-in OCR: Google Lens on Android or Live Text on iPhone

It’s surprisingly simple. On Android, open Google Photos or the Google app, tap the Lens icon, frame the text, then choose “Copy text.” iPhone users can open the Photos app, tap the photo, hit the Live Text button, select the text, and tap Copy. Honestly, these tools recognize over 100 languages and usually keep the formatting intact.

How do I extract text from a picture on Android?

Enable Google Lens in the Camera app, frame the text, then tap “Copy text”

Start by making sure Google Lens is ready to go. Open the Camera app, tap the Lens icon, point at the text you need, drag to select it, then tap “Copy text.” Don’t forget to keep Lens updated—Google rolls out improvements every few weeks. To check, go to Settings → About → System update and make sure you’re current.

Can Google extract text from an image?

Yes, Google Lens in Google Photos and the Google app can extract text from images

Google Lens handles 105+ languages and can pull text from screenshots, documents, even handwritten notes. If Lens isn’t available in your region, try Google Keep: open the image, tap “Grab image text,” select what you need, and copy it over. It’s not as seamless, but it gets the job done.

How do I extract text from a photo on Samsung?

Use Samsung’s “Extract text” feature in Gallery or via Edge panel

Samsung makes this pretty straightforward. Open Gallery, select your photo, tap the three-dot menu, and choose “Extract text.” The OCR supports over 10 languages and tries to keep the original formatting. Want faster access? Add the “Extract text” toggle to your Quick Panel by going to Settings → Display → Quick panel layout.

How do I copy text from a picture on my Samsung?

Open the photo in Gallery, tap the text-highlight icon, then choose Copy

Once you open the photo in Gallery, tap the text-highlight icon (it looks like a little text bubble), drag the selection handles to grab exactly what you need, then tap Copy. The cool part? Samsung’s OCR works offline, so you can copy text even when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi.

How can I extract text from a PDF image?

Use Adobe Acrobat’s built-in OCR or free online tools like iLovePDF

If you’ve got Adobe Acrobat Reader (desktop or web), open your PDF, click “Enhance Scans,” then “Recognize Text,” and finally “In This File.” For a free alternative, upload your PDF to iLovePDF and download the editable text layer. Most tools give you plain text, but paid versions often preserve tables and columns.

How do I extract text from an image in Python?

Install pytesseract and Tesseract OCR engine to extract text programmatically

First things first: grab Tesseract from UB-Mannheim, then run pip install pytesseract. Here’s a quick script to get you started:

import pytesseract
from PIL import Image
text = pytesseract.image_to_string(Image.open('scan.png'))
print(text)
That’s it—you’ll get the text printed right in your console.

How do I turn a picture into an editable text?

Convert the image to a PDF with OCR, then open it in Word or Google Docs

Try this: upload your image to Adobe’s free PDF-to-Word converter, pick “Retain layout,” and open the resulting .docx in Word. Most tools output plain text, but paid versions usually keep formatting like tables and columns intact. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid starting point.

How do I extract text from Bixby?

Open Bixby Vision, scan the text, tap “Extract,” then save the text

Open Bixby, tap Vision, point your camera at the text, then tap “Text.” Drag to select what you need, hit the extract icon (it looks like a T), and tap Save. Samsung updates Bixby Vision monthly, so check Settings → About phone → Software update to stay current.

How can I read text from an image online?

Use free online OCR tools such as OnlineOCR.net or New OCR

Just upload your image or PDF, pick the language, and click “Convert.” The tool spits out selectable text you can copy. Now, a word of caution: if you’re dealing with sensitive documents, skip the online route and use an offline tool like Tesseract on your computer instead.

Edited and fact-checked by the FixAnswer editorial team.
Charlene Dyck

Charlene is a tech writer specializing in computers, electronics, and gadgets, making complex topics accessible to everyday users.