Extract Text from Any Image with the Windows Photos App
Windows 11 hides a powerful OCR tool inside the Photos app that instantly pulls text from images. If you take screenshots, snap whiteboards, or store receipts as photos, this feature can save you hours of retyping.
By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 25, 2026
Maybe it was a Wi-Fi password, a quote from a PDF, or handwritten notes from a meeting.
Traditionally, that meant retyping everything or installing a third-party OCR tool.
Here's a Cool Tip: Use Windows Photos App to Extract Text.
Windows 11 now includes built-in text recognition inside the Photos app.
It works quietly in the background and makes text selectable and copyable directly from your images.
No subscription.
No browser extension.
No scanning app required.
For business users, and home users alike, this is one of those practical upgrades that removes friction from daily work.
Feature Explanation
What it is:
- The Windows Photos app in Windows 11 includes optical character recognition, or OCR, that detects text inside images and allows you to copy it.
How it works:
- When you open an image in Photos, the app analyzes the image for recognizable characters. If text is detected, a “Copy text” or “Scan text” option appears. You can select specific lines or copy all detected text.
Why it matters:
- Screenshots, scanned contracts, printed forms, whiteboards, and even photographed documents become searchable and editable. This eliminates retyping and reduces errors.
