How to Copy Text From an Image or Screen in Windows (3 Ways)

You've got text on your screen that you can't select. An error message. A scanned PDF. A frame in a video. A screenshot someone sent you.

Retyping it is slow and you'll make typos. The good news: Windows has OCR (text recognition) built in, and there are a few easy ways to use it.

Way 1: The Snipping Tool

Windows 11's Snipping Tool can read text in a screenshot.

1. Press Win + Shift + S and snip the area with the text.
2. Click the notification to open the snip in the Snipping Tool.
3. Click Text actions, then Copy all text. Or highlight just the part you want, right-click, and choose Copy text.

Newer versions of the Snipping Tool also add a Text extractor button right on the capture bar, so you can grab text without saving a screenshot first. Microsoft has been rolling this out in stages, so you may or may not see it on your PC yet.

Good: It's already on your PC. Not so good: It's several clicks every time, and what you see depends on your Windows and Snipping Tool version.

Way 2: PowerToys Text Extractor

If you install Microsoft's free PowerToys, you get a tool called Text Extractor.

1. Press Win + Shift + T.
2. Drag a box around the text.
3. Let go. The text is on your clipboard.

That's quick. It uses Windows' OCR language packs, so it reads the languages you have installed. Microsoft does say to proofread the output, which is good advice for any OCR.

Good: Free, fast, and one hotkey. Not so good: It only does text. If you also want screenshots you can pin and mark up, you need another tool.

Way 3: Window Snipping (one drag, plus a lot more)

Window Snipping is the tool I built because I wanted OCR and screenshots in one place, all on hotkeys.

1. Hold Win + Ctrl and drag a box around the text.
2. That's it. The text is on your clipboard.

It uses the OCR engine built into Windows, so it's fast and runs offline. It reads any OCR language you've installed in Windows. And if you set different source and target languages, Google Translate opens automatically with the text (that part needs internet).

The same tool also does:

• Win + Drag to snip a region and pin it on top of everything
• Win + Shift + Drag for a delayed snip with a countdown
• Arrows, highlights and text notes on any snip from the keyboard

Things people copy text from

• Error messages you want to search for or send to support
• Scanned PDFs and images of documents
• Paused videos and webinars
• Text inside apps that won't let you select it
• Screenshots people send you in chat

Tips for better results

• Zoom in first. Bigger text reads more accurately.
• Grab just the text you need. Leave out icons and busy backgrounds.
• Check numbers and symbols. OCR can mix up 0 and O, or 1 and l.
• Add languages in Windows. Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region and add the language you need. Its OCR comes with it.

Which way is best?

If you only grab text once in a while, the Snipping Tool is already there.

If you want one hotkey just for text, PowerToys Text Extractor is great and free.

If you want text, pinned screenshots and markup all from the same set of hotkeys, get Window Snipping for $4.99. You get the compiled .exe, so you don't need AutoHotkey installed.