Forum Discussion
Eliseow
Jul 05, 2026Tin Contributor
How can I translate text from an image on my pc?
Got a bunch of images with foreign language text baked into them and need to get them translated. Since the text is part of the image it can't be selected or copied normally, so the usual copy-paste ...
stusstow
Jul 05, 2026Iron Contributor
Google Keep on your Windows PC has a killer feature called "Grab image text". This uses OCR (optical character recognition) to pull any readable text out of a photo or screenshot you've added to a note. So, the actual process of how to translate text from image using Keep is more of a two-step dance. You don't translate inside Keep itself; you use Keep to grab the text, and then you take that text to a translator.
The Simple Two-Step Flow if Translate Text from Image:
- Grab the Text in Keep: First, you create a new note in Google Keep and add your image—maybe a screenshot of a sign, a photo of a menu, or even a picture of a whiteboard . Then, click on the image in your note, tap the three-dot menu, and select "Grab image text" . Keep will scan the image and drop all the text it finds right into your note. It's surprisingly accurate for things like signs, documents, and even handwritten notes.
- Translate the Extracted Text: Once the text is in your Keep note, just copy it. Then, pop it into your favorite translator—Google Translate, DeepL, or whatever you prefer.
Why This is Actually Pretty Great
- It Saves You Typing: For someone like me who's constantly taking screenshots, this is a game-changer. Instead of retyping a paragraph from a photo, Keep does the heavy lifting for you in seconds. It turns your Windows PC into a mini text scanner.
- The Text is Searchable and Editable: Once that text is extracted, it becomes a real note you can edit, organize, and search for later. You're not just left with another un-searchable screenshot.
- Works with All Kinds of Images: It's not just for clean screenshots. You can use it on photos of receipts, signs, printed labels, or even a whiteboard from a meeting .
- Access Anywhere: Since it's a Google service, your notes sync instantly across all your devices. You can grab the text on your PC and access the note on your phone later.