Turn a phone photo into editable text.

How to do it, step by step

1. Open the tool with the button above. The Scan → Text mode is already selected.
2. Pick the language the text is written in.
3. Tap Choose image and pick the photo from your camera roll, or drag it in on a computer.
4. If the photo came out sideways, rotate it with the arrow buttons.
5. Press Recognize text.
6. Copy the text, or download it as a .txt file.

Tips for better results

• Hold the phone parallel to the page. Tilted shots stretch letters and lower accuracy.
• Turn off the flash on glossy paper to avoid glare spots, and use daylight when you can.
• Get close enough that the text fills most of the frame.
• For whiteboards, wipe smudges and shoot from the middle, not from the side.

Open Photo to Text →