OCR tool

Image to text: copy text from any photo

Extract text from photos, screenshots, scanned documents and PDFs in seconds. Reads English, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi and 30+ languages. No typing, no sign-up.

Private, runs in your browser Urdu, Arabic, Hindi & more Photos, screenshots & PDFs No size limit

Drop images or a PDF here

or paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V

JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, BMP or PDF · up to 30 pages

Engine
Guide

How to extract text from an image

OCR (optical character recognition) looks at the shapes of letters in a picture and turns them into real text you can copy, edit and search. It works on photos of documents, screenshots, receipts, book pages, signs and scanned PDFs.

Photo to text in 3 steps

  1. Add your image: drop it on the page, choose a file, take a photo on your phone, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V.
  2. Choose the language of the text. For mixed Urdu and English, keep Also read English words ticked.
  3. The text appears on the right. Fix any small mistakes, then Copy, download it, or Translate it.

Which engine should I use?

  • In your browser: private and unlimited. Best for screenshots, printed documents and PDFs.
  • Cloud: often more accurate for Urdu Nastaliq, busy photos and handwriting. Each page is sent to OCR.space.

Tips for better results

  • Hold the phone straight above the page, with no shadow on it
  • Make sure the text is sharp; tap to focus before taking the photo
  • Rotate sideways pages with the rotate buttons
  • Crop screenshots to the part you need
  • Pick the right language; the wrong one gives strange letters

Good to know

Tables and columns come out as plain lines of text. Use Fix line breaks to turn a scanned paragraph back into flowing sentences. Very small or blurry text, stylish fonts and messy handwriting are the hardest to read.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert an image to text?

Drop a photo, screenshot or PDF on the page, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V. Pick the language of the text and the tool starts reading straight away. When it finishes, press Copy or download the text as a .txt file.

Can it read Urdu, Arabic and Hindi?

Yes. Choose the language from the list before you extract. For Urdu written in Nastaliq, and for handwriting, the Cloud engine usually gives better results than the In your browser engine.

Are my images uploaded or saved?

With the In your browser engine nothing is uploaded: the text is read on your own device. With the Cloud engine, each page is sent to the OCR.space service to be read and is not saved on our server.

How do I get text from a PDF?

Add the PDF like an image. If the PDF already contains real text, it is copied exactly without OCR. Scanned PDF pages are read one by one, up to 30 pages at a time.

Is there a file size limit?

No. Large photos are resized on your device before reading. For the Cloud engine they are also compressed to under 1 MB automatically.

How can I get better results?

Use a sharp, well-lit photo taken straight on, choose the right language, and rotate the image if the text is sideways. If the result is poor, try the Cloud engine, or tick Handwriting for handwritten notes.