Image to Text (OCR)

Copy the words out of any photo, screenshot or scanned page – in English, Urdu, Hindi or Arabic.

🔒 Your files are processed on your device and never uploaded.

Image to Text (OCR) at a glance

Price: Free
Account: Not needed
Watermark: None
Privacy: Files are processed inside your browser and are never uploaded.
Works on: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone – in any modern browser
Install: Nothing to install

Four languagesEnglish, Urdu, Hindi and Arabic – even mixed in one picture.

Private OCRText recognition runs on your own phone or computer. Pictures are never uploaded.

Edit, copy, saveFix any mistakes, then copy the text or save it as a .txt file.

How to use Image to Text (OCR)

Press Select pictures and choose one or more images.
Tick the language(s) in the picture.
Press Get text, then copy or download the result.

What is OCR?

OCR (optical character recognition) turns a picture of words into real text you can copy, search and edit. Use it to copy a paragraph from a book photo, get the text out of a screenshot, digitise a printed letter or pull numbers from a receipt.

Tips for the best result

Use a sharp photo in good light, taken straight on.
Crop away everything that is not text.
Tick only the languages that are really in the picture.
Printed text works much better than handwriting.

Have a scanned PDF instead? Use OCR PDF to make the whole file searchable.

Get the most accurate text

Use a sharp, well-lit photo taken straight from above; crop away everything that is not text.
Pick the correct language – Urdu, Arabic, Hindi and English have their own reading models.
Printed text works best; neat handwriting works sometimes, joined handwriting rarely.

What next?

Translate the text with Text Translator, make an editable document with Image to Word or a table with Image to Excel.

Frequently asked questions

Is Image to Text free?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limits. Copy the text with one tap or save it as a TXT file.

Which languages can it read?

English, Urdu, Hindi and Arabic. Tick the languages in your picture – choosing only the ones you need makes reading faster and more accurate.

Does it read Urdu?

Yes. Tick “Urdu”. Clear printed Urdu in Naskh or Nastaliq gives the best results; very decorative fonts are harder to read.

Can it read handwriting?

Neat handwriting is sometimes recognised, but results are much better with printed text.

How do I get the best result?

Use a sharp, straight, well-lit photo where the text fills most of the picture. Crop away the background and avoid shadows across the page.

Why does the first use take longer?

The reading data for each language (1–4 MB) is downloaded once and then remembered by your browser, so later uses are much faster.

Are my pictures uploaded?

No. OCR runs on your device.

Guides for this tool

Scanning & OCR"What Is OCR? How to Turn Scanned Documents and Photos Into Text"

OCR reads the words in scans and photos so you can search, copy and edit them. Learn how it works, how to get accurate results and how to OCR English, Urdu, Hindi and Arabic.

9 min read