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Instagram Image to Text

Copy the words from an Instagram post, story, quote card or caption screenshot. Add the screenshot, extract the text and paste it wherever you need it. The image is read in your browser and never uploaded.

Add your Instagram screenshot

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).

Drop a screenshot of a post, story or caption here, or press Ctrl+V

or

Max file size: 10MB

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What reads well, and what does not

Instagram images vary a lot, and OCR copes with some of them much better than others. Plain dark text on a light background, like a caption, a comment thread or a simple quote card, usually comes out almost perfect. Designed graphics are harder.

Expect to correct a few words in these cases:

  • Text over a photo or a colorful gradient. In a test with white bold text on a pink and purple story background, the middle lines were read correctly but the first and last lines were garbled. Cropping tightly around the text helps.
  • Decorative and handwritten fonts. Script lettering, outlined letters and heavy effects are often misread or skipped.
  • Emoji and stickers. They are not recognized. They are dropped or turn into a stray letter or symbol you can delete.
  • Carousels and Reels. Each slide is a separate image, and a Reel is a video. Screenshot the slides or the frame you need, one by one.

Only the text is extracted. Layout, colors and fonts are not kept. This page is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta; it reads screenshots and images you already have on your device.

How to copy text from an Instagram image

Text inside an Instagram image is part of the picture, so it cannot be selected. A screenshot and OCR turn it into real text.

Last updated:

  1. 1

    1. Screenshot the post or story

    On a phone, press power and volume down (or use your phone's screenshot shortcut) while the post or story is on screen. For a story, pause it first by holding your finger on it. On a computer, use Win+Shift+S or Cmd+Shift+4.

  2. 2

    2. Add it here

    Choose the screenshot with the button, drop it on the box or paste it with Ctrl+V (up to 10 MB). Crop away the profile bar, buttons and comments if you only need the text in the image.

  3. 3

    3. Extract and copy

    Click Extract Text, fix any misread words in the box, then copy the text or download it as .txt or .docx.

Copy text from an Instagram image

Tips for Instagram screenshots

Before you screenshot

  • Pause a story by holding it, so the text is not caught mid animation
  • Zoom into a post with two fingers if the text is small, then screenshot
  • Hide the comment box and buttons where you can, or crop them out later

Before you extract

  • Crop to the block of text you need: less clutter, fewer mistakes
  • Pick the language yourself if the caption mixes languages (up to 3 at once)
  • Several slides or stories? Multi Image OCR reads up to 20 screenshots in one run

Where it helps

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 copy text from an Instagram picture?

Take a screenshot of the post, add it to the tool above and click Extract Text. The words in the image come back as plain text you can select, copy and paste. The same works for any app; see screenshot to text for capture shortcuts on each device.

Can I copy text from an Instagram story?

Yes. Hold your finger on the story to pause it, take a screenshot, then add the screenshot here. Text on a busy photo or a bright gradient reads less reliably than plain text, so check the result and crop closer if words are wrong.

Why are some words wrong or missing?

Usually because of the design: fancy fonts, text over a photo, small text or a low resolution image. Crop to the text, zoom in before taking the screenshot, and check the confidence score under the result. For soft, low quality images, see blurry image to text.

Is my screenshot uploaded anywhere?

No. The OCR runs in your browser, so the screenshot and the text stay on your device. Nothing is posted to Instagram and no account is needed.

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