How do I copy text from an image?

Drop the image above (JPG, PNG, WebP or BMP), wait a few seconds while the OCR engine reads it, then click “Copy text” or download the result as a .txt file. The extracted text appears in an editable box so you can fix any mistakes first.

Which languages are supported?

English, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian and Arabic. Pick the language before dropping your image — matching the language to the text dramatically improves accuracy, because each language uses its own trained recognition data.

How accurate is the text recognition?

On clean screenshots and sharp scans, typically 95%+ of characters are correct. Accuracy drops with blurry photos, handwriting, stylised fonts, low contrast or skewed angles. The tool shows a confidence score and warns you when the result is likely to need proofreading.

Are my images uploaded to a server?

No. The OCR engine (Tesseract, compiled to WebAssembly) runs inside your browser. Your image is processed on your own device — it is never uploaded, which matters for IDs, invoices, contracts and other sensitive documents.

Why does the first run take longer?

On first use your browser downloads the OCR engine and language data (roughly 15 MB). It is then cached, so subsequent conversions start almost instantly, even after you close the tab.

Can it read handwriting?

Only very neat, print-like handwriting, and even then with mixed results — OCR engines are trained on printed text. For cursive or messy notes, expect to correct a lot; the editable result box makes that quick.

Can I extract text from a PDF?

Convert the PDF pages to images first with our free PDF to JPG tool, then run each page through this OCR tool. For text extracted into rows and columns, use the Image to Excel converter instead.

Image to Text (OCR)

Extract text from photos, screenshots and scans in 8 languages — OCR runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.

Files never leave your device Instant — no upload waitFree, no sign-up

Text language

Choose an image or drag & drop it hereJPG, PNG, WebP or BMP · text is extracted on your device

or import from

Turn any image into editable text

Screenshots of error messages, photos of book pages, scanned letters, whiteboard snaps, receipts — drop any of them above and get selectable, editable text in seconds. Pick from8 languages (including Hindi and Arabic), watch the live progress bar, then copy the result or download it as a .txt file. A confidence score tells you honestly how much proofreading to expect.

Real OCR, running in your browser

This tool uses Tesseract — the same open-source OCR engine used by researchers and archives worldwide — compiled to WebAssembly so it runs on your device. Your images are never uploaded. That’s not a small detail: the things people OCR most are exactly the things they least want on a stranger’s server — invoices, ID documents, contracts, medical letters. Here, they never leave your computer.

Getting the best accuracy

Three things matter most: sharpness (retake blurry photos — no OCR can rescue them), angle (shoot straight-on, not tilted) and the right language selection. Good lighting without shadows across the text helps too. Clean screenshots are the ideal input and routinely come out near-perfect; photos of glossy paper with reflections are the hardest.

What it won’t do (honestly)

Cursive handwriting, heavily stylised fonts and dense multi-column magazine layouts will produce errors — every OCR does, and we’d rather tell you upfront. The result box is fully editable so fixes are quick. Extracting a table with rows and columns? Use the purpose-builtImage to Excel converter, and tidy up capitalisation afterwards with the Case Converter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I copy text from an image?
Drop the image above (JPG, PNG, WebP or BMP), wait a few seconds while the OCR engine reads it, then click “Copy text” or download the result as a .txt file. The extracted text appears in an editable box so you can fix any mistakes first.
Which languages are supported?
English, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian and Arabic. Pick the language before dropping your image — matching the language to the text dramatically improves accuracy, because each language uses its own trained recognition data.
How accurate is the text recognition?
On clean screenshots and sharp scans, typically 95%+ of characters are correct. Accuracy drops with blurry photos, handwriting, stylised fonts, low contrast or skewed angles. The tool shows a confidence score and warns you when the result is likely to need proofreading.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. The OCR engine (Tesseract, compiled to WebAssembly) runs inside your browser. Your image is processed on your own device — it is never uploaded, which matters for IDs, invoices, contracts and other sensitive documents.
Why does the first run take longer?
On first use your browser downloads the OCR engine and language data (roughly 15 MB). It is then cached, so subsequent conversions start almost instantly, even after you close the tab.
Can it read handwriting?
Only very neat, print-like handwriting, and even then with mixed results — OCR engines are trained on printed text. For cursive or messy notes, expect to correct a lot; the editable result box makes that quick.
Can I extract text from a PDF?
Convert the PDF pages to images first with our free PDF to JPG tool, then run each page through this OCR tool. For text extracted into rows and columns, use the Image to Excel converter instead.