How can I extract text from an image on my computer?

You can use the built-in Photos app to extract text. 

Alternatively, Snipping Tool can be used. 

Both the apps are pre-installed in Windows 11, so you don't need third-party software.

Read detailed methods in this community guide:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2285914/how-to-extract-text-from-images-on-windows-11-arti

Hope this helps!

You can use the Microsoft OneNote app to easily extract text from images.

Microsoft PowerToys is Microsoft's free open source tool suite for advanced users, and its built-in Text Extractor feature is deeply integrated with Windows 10 /11 system, which can quickly extract the text of the image, easy to operate.

To use Microsoft PowerToys, the steps are simple: 

1.Download and install 

• Visit the official PowerToys download page to complete the installation.

2.Open Text Extractor function 

• Open the software, select Text Extractor in the left menu bar, and then open the Enable Text Extractor switch, the default shortcut key is (Win+Shift+T) .

3.Extract text from image

• Use the shortcut key, the mouse cursor into a crosshair style drag the box to select the text. Text will be automatically copied, press Ctrl + V will be able to paste to use.

For me, Microsoft PowerToys is my best solution because it is fast, privacy-oriented, and can run anywhere on the screen.

pytesseract is a Python wrapper for Tesseract OCR (Optical Character Recognition) engine. Tesseract itself is an open-source tool developed by Google that can read text from images and convert it into editable text. Since Tesseract is written in C++, it’s not directly “Python-friendly.” That’s where pytesseract comes in—it acts like a bridge, letting you run Tesseract commands inside Python scripts.

With pytesseract, you can:

• Extract text from images (JPG, PNG, etc.).
• Process scanned PDFs by converting pages to images first.
• Batch-process multiple files with just a few lines of code.
• Integrate OCR into bigger Python projects like data scraping, automation, or machine learning.

Sample code sniplet to extract text from images on Windows or Mac:

import os
from PIL import Image
import pytesseract

folder = "images"

for file in os.listdir(folder):
    if file.endswith((".png", ".jpg", ".jpeg")):
        img_path = os.path.join(folder, file)
        text = pytesseract.image_to_string(Image.open(img_path))
        print(f"\n--- {file} ---\n{text}")

Many free OCR tools, especially online services, require uploading images to their servers. If these images contain sensitive or confidential information (e.g., personal data, passwords, business secrets), this could lead to privacy breaches.

When extracting text from images on Windows computer using free tools or OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software, there are several common errors and pitfalls to watch out for. Use high-quality, clear images with good contrast. If possible, enhance or straighten the image before OCR. Use common formats like PNG, JPEG, TIFF, or BMP. Ensure the images are intact and not corrupted, and configure OCR tools to recognize the correct language and, if possible, specify font types for better accuracy.

Extracting text from image, Always review the OCR output for errors, especially with important or sensitive data. For sensitive data, use offline OCR tools like Tesseract or local applications.

Great question indeed. Another free image to text converter is Google Keep.

Google Keep is a free note-taking app from Google that works in your browser, on Android, and on iOS. It lets you quickly save text notes, to-do lists, voice memos, and even images. One lesser-known but very useful feature is that it can perform OCR on images you upload, meaning it can extract the text inside a picture and turn it into editable text.

How to Extract Text from an Image Free

1. Open Google Keep in your browser and sign in with your Google account.

2. Click “Take a note” and then use the image upload icon to add your picture.

3. Once the image is uploaded into the note, click on the three-dot menu (More options).

4. Select “Grab image text”. The text from the image will appear in your note, right below the picture. You can then copy, edit, or export it.

It's an easy and free way to extract text from photos without installing any extra apps on Windows.

Capture2Text is a free, lightweight tool that allows you to quickly extract text from images or any part of your screen on Windows. Here's how you can use Capture2Text to extract text from an image:

How to extract text from images on Windows computer

1. Download and Install Capture2Text
2. Configure the Hotkey

• When you run Capture2Text, it runs in the system tray.
• Right-click the Capture2Text icon in the system tray and select Options.
• Set your preferred hotkey (default is often Win + Q) to activate the screen capture.

3. Extract Text from Image

• Open the image or display it on your screen.
• Press the hotkey (Win + Q or your set key) to activate Capture2Text.
• Your cursor will change to crosshairs.
• Click and drag to select the area of the image containing the text.
• Release the mouse button; Capture2Text will process the selected area.
• The extracted text will automatically appear in a small pop-up window or be copied to your clipboard.

4. Use the Extracted Text

• Paste the text into any document, note, or editor.

To extract text from image on Windows computer, you can use several free tools and methods. Here are some popular options:

1. Using Microsoft OneNote (Built-in)
Microsoft OneNote has a built-in OCR feature that can extract text from images.

Steps:

• Open OneNote (comes with Windows 10/11 or free via Microsoft Store).
• Insert your image:
    Drag and drop the image into a note, or
    Go to Insert > Pictures to add the image.
• Right-click on the image and select Copy Text from Picture.
• Paste the copied text into any document or text editor.

2. Using Google Keep (Online)
Google Keep can extract text from images for free.

Steps:

• Go to Google Keep and sign in.
• Click Add Note > Image icon to upload your image.
• Once uploaded, click on the image, then select Grab Image Text (available when you click the three dots menu).
• The text will be extracted and displayed, which you can copy and paste.