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Image to Text Converter that runs in your browser

This free image to text converter reads your photos, screenshots and scans inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there is no daily limit. Copy the text or save it as a .txt file. No signup.

Upload Your Image

Supports JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WebP, TIFF, HEIC, HEIF, HEICS

Auto detects the writing system and reads it. For better results, pick the language (up to 3 if the text mixes languages).

Drag & drop your image here

or

Max file size: 10MB

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How the image to text converter works

Three steps, all on your device. The OCR engine is Tesseract, running in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

Last updated:

  1. 1

    Add your image

    Drag and drop an image (JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WebP, TIFF, HEIC, HEIF, HEICS or a screenshot), browse for it, or paste it with Ctrl+V. Have several images? Batch OCR extracts text from up to 20 images at once.

  2. 2

    Pick the language and extract

    Choose the language your text is written in, then press Extract text. The first run downloads the OCR engine and that language's data once; after that it is cached in your browser.

  3. 3

    Copy or download the text

    The text appears in an editable box. Fix anything the OCR misread, then copy it or download it as a .txt or .docx file.

Reads difficult images too

Real photos are rarely perfect. Before reading, every image is turned upright, straightened and cleaned up in your browser. Here is what that helps with.

Optimization Tips for Best Results

Follow these best practices to achieve maximum OCR accuracy

Resolution

300+ DPI for printed documents ensures crisp, clear text extraction

  • Scanned documents: Set scanner to 300-600 DPI
  • Smartphone photos: Use highest quality setting (8MP minimum)
  • Screenshots: Ensure display is at 100% zoom before capturing
  • Aged documents: 600+ DPI helps with faded text

Lighting

Natural indirect light is optimal for clear text capture

  • Position document near window with diffused daylight
  • Avoid direct sunlight creating harsh shadows
  • Indoor: Use overhead lighting + desk lamp for even coverage
  • Eliminate shadows cast by your hands or camera

Focus

Text must be sharp and clear for accurate recognition

  • Enable camera auto-focus on text region
  • Hold camera steady or use tripod/stand
  • Avoid motion blur, pause briefly before capturing
  • For close-ups, ensure camera can focus at that distance

Angle

Perpendicular to document surface prevents distortion

  • Position camera directly above document (90-degree angle)
  • Avoid angled shots that create perspective distortion
  • Use books or stands to elevate document if needed
  • Ensure all corners of document are equidistant from camera

Contrast

Dark text on light background = ideal conditions

  • Black or dark blue ink on white paper = ideal
  • Faded documents: Adjust scanner/camera contrast settings
  • Yellow pages: Use grayscale or B&W mode to increase contrast
  • Pencil writing: Ensure sufficient darkness

Surface

Flatten wrinkled or curved pages for best results

  • Use glass to flatten documents before scanning
  • For books: Press pages flat (use weights if needed)
  • Remove creases that create shadows
  • Ensure no curled edges blocking text

About this image to text converter

It reads printed text in phone photos, screenshots, scanned pages and handwritten notes, in 19 languages. Text recognition uses Tesseract, an open source OCR engine with an LSTM neural network, running inside your browser through Tesseract.js. Your image is never sent to a server.

The result is plain text: bold, columns, tables and page layout are not kept. Neat print and block handwriting read well; joined cursive, very small or blurred text and low contrast photos often come out with errors, so check the result before you use it.

Why Use This Photo to Text Converter?

Below are some factors that make our image text extractor worth choosing as an online OCR tool:

Supports Formats JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WebP, TIFF, HEIC, HEIF, HEICS, PDF
Languages EN, ES, FR, IT, PT-BR, RU, TR, UK
Easier to Use Free Access, No Sign-Up Required
Results Plain text you can edit, copy or download as .txt
Working Fast Processing Speed
Technology Tesseract OCR (LSTM neural network) running in your browser

Our image to text converter is designed to streamline the process of extracting text from images. However, we understand you might have a few questions. To make the most of this tool, we've compiled some frequently asked questions along with helpful explanations to guide you.

How do I convert an image to text in Word?

Add the image here, click Extract text, fix anything the OCR misread, then click Download .docx. The Word file is created in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and each line of text becomes its own paragraph. You get the text only, so apply any formatting in Word yourself. Copying the text into an open document works too. The image to Word converter puts the .docx button first and explains what carries over to Word.

Is this better than Google Lens for copying text from an image?

It depends on what you need. Google Lens is quick on a phone and reads many languages, but it works through Google's servers. This tool reads the image inside your browser, so the image is never uploaded, and it works on any device with a modern browser, including 20 images at once on batch OCR. The full comparison is in Google Lens vs browser OCR.

Is this AI image to text?

The text is read by Tesseract, an open source OCR engine whose recognizer is an LSTM neural network trained on lines of text. It is machine learning, but it is not a generative AI model: it does not guess or rewrite your text, it only transcribes the characters it sees. That is also why the result depends so much on how sharp and clear the image is. More in is image to text AI?

How do I copy text from an image on my phone?

Open this page in your phone's browser, tap the upload box and pick a photo or take a new one, then tap Extract text and use the copy button. No app is needed. The copy text from image page walks through it step by step.

Can I scan a paper document to text without an app?

Yes. Take a photo of the page with your phone camera, keeping it flat, well lit and filling the frame, then add the photo here. The text scanner page is set up for exactly this. For a multi-page scanned PDF, use PDF to text.

Can it translate the text in a picture?

No, it only transcribes. It turns a picture, JPG or screenshot into the words it shows, in the same language, so set the OCR language to match the image first. Then copy the result into the translator you already use. Doing it in two steps has one advantage: you can fix any misread word before translating, which stops a single OCR error from changing the meaning of a whole sentence.

Is it really free with no limit?

Yes. There is no account, no daily quota and no paid tier, because the OCR runs on your own device, so there is no server cost per image. The only limits are per run: 10 MB per image and 20 images per batch.

Are my images uploaded anywhere?

No. The image is read by OCR running in your browser and is never sent to our server or stored. The page only downloads the OCR engine and language files, which your browser then caches, and the extracted text stays on your device until you copy or download it.

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