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Want to Effortlessly Copy Text from Any Image? Is This Surprising Windows 11 Trick the Best Method?
A new tool called Text Extractor is now available in Windows 11. This feature allows you to copy words directly from any picture, screenshot, or PDF file on your screen. It simplifies a task that previously required other applications.
How to Use the Text Extractor
Accessing this tool is straightforward. You can use a keyboard shortcut you may already know.
- Press the Win + Shift + S keys together. This action opens the screen capture bar.
- In the bar, you will see a new button with a text icon. This is the Text Actions or Text Extractor button.
- Click this button. Your cursor will change, allowing you to drag a box around the text you want to copy from your screen.
- Windows will automatically read the text inside the box you selected, and you can then paste it anywhere you need.
How to Get This Feature
You do not need to install a major Windows Update to receive this new capability. The Text Extractor is part of an update to the Snipping Tool application. This app updates automatically through the Microsoft Store. The feature is included in Snipping Tool version 11.2508.29.0 and newer releases. Once the app updates, the text extraction option appears in the capture bar.
Performance and Limitations
The Text Extractor works very well for everyday use. It accurately reads text from clear images and scanned documents. Its main purpose is to perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which means it identifies and converts text from an image into editable characters.
However, the tool has limitations. It performs basic text extraction only.
- It does not interpret or analyze the content.
- If text in an image is blurry, unreadable, or artistically styled, the tool may struggle to copy it correctly.
- Unlike more advanced AI models like ChatGPT, it cannot intelligently guess or reconstruct words that are unclear or missing. It simply copies what it can clearly see.
While Microsoft markets this as an AI feature, it is best understood as a highly efficient and integrated OCR tool. It is a powerful addition for quickly grabbing text without needing separate software, making it a very useful feature for many users.