Have you ever captured a photo of a sign or poster to have the information handy for later reference? Our smartphones have made it incredibly convenient to snap pictures of anything in an instant, and they also offer a quick and effortless way to extract information from those photos.
Whether you need to grab a phone number or email address from a business card without the risk of making a typo or you wish to send information from a document without the need to retype it completely, this feature is exceptionally useful and accessible on both iPhone and Android devices.
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There are a number of reasons you may want to learn how to extract or copy text that's within a photo you've taken or saved.
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This feature is called Live Text, and it's available on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, or later with iOS 15 or later. You can use Live Text to copy text in photos or videos, translate languages, and more. Although to use Live Text for video, you need iOS 16 or later or iPadOS 16 or later. First, you'll want to turn on Live Text for all supported languages:
How to copy text from an image on iPhone using Live Text
Make sure that if you're pulling text from an image you haven't taken yourself, the photo is saved to your Photos app.
Note: Live Text is also available on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) or later, iPad Pro 11-inch (all models), iPad Air (3rd generation) or later, iPad (8th generation) or later, and iPad mini (5th generation) or later with iPadOS 15.1 or later.
You can also use Live Text in the Camera app or when using Camera in apps like Notes or Reminders to copy text from an image.
How to use Live Text in the Camera app on iPhone to copy text from an image
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Bonus: If you point your iPhone camera at a photo or image with a phone number or website and tap the Live Text button, it will either appear below the photo so you can tap it and be directed to that site or call that number or you can tap it directly in the photo or image and be directed to that site or call that number.
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You can also use Live Text on your iPhone to quickly translate text.
How to use Live Text on iPhone to translate
For example, in the photo below of a recipe, I translated an ingredient into French.
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You can copy text from an image on Android using Google Photos. Here are the steps:
How to copy text from an image on Android or iPhone in Google Photos
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
Make sure that if you're pulling text from an image you haven't taken yourself, the photo is saved to your Gallery app or camera roll.
How to copy text from an image on Samsung in Gallery app
Settings may vary depending on your Samsung's phone’s manufacturer
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Note: We performed those steps on a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
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Kurt's key takeaways
Machine language and the ability of technology to read images is yielding another helpful tool to extract text straight from a photo. Now you know how to capture and extract text from photos. As you can see, it is an invaluable tool that will save you time, prevent errors and provide an effortless way for you to access and share information on the go.
What are some creative tips you’ve discovered for using your phone or tablet? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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