Ever wanted to be able to extract text from images and videos? While apps provide some interactivity like Google Lens and Office Lens, iPhone and iPad owners (as well as Mac users) already have Live Text built into their devices.
The function was added to iOS 15 and enables you to point the camera on your device at a sign, document, or any other physical object to extract the image’s text (supported languages include English, Chinese, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Spanish). Even photographs from your camera roll and websites with text-filled images are compatible. In addition, with the iOS 16 update, you can extract text from videos and even pick up items from still photos and moving pictures. How to Select Text in Photos or Camera on iPhone? Let’s find out with us in this article below.
Contents
How to Get Live Text
Do you wish to use live text? First, you’ll need the most recent iPad and iPhone devices. All iPhone 11, 12, and 13 models, as well as the iPhone XS and XR, are included in this (sorry, iPhone X owners).
The iPad Air (3rd Gen or later), iPad (8th Gen or later), iPad mini (5th Gen or later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch model (3rd Gen or later), and iPad Pro 11-inch model (all generations) are all supported.
To use Live Text, your device must run iOS 15 or iPadOS 15. You may find out whether iOS is up to date or be asked to download an update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. You will need iPadOS 16 or iOS 16 (the latter of which is still in testing as of this writing) if you want the newest features, such as capturing live text from video and objects from both.
Last but not least, ensure that Live Text is turned on before attempting to use it. If Live Text‘s switch is off, go to Settings > General > Language & Region and flip it on.
How to Copy Text
Open the Photos app and select the text-containing photo to copy from. Any word in the text can be selected by pressing down until a menu displays above it. Then, to copy the text, hit Copy after dragging the circular grab points around all the words you want to copy.
You can also hit Select All to select all visible text in the image and tap Copy to copy it. Next, open the app you wish to paste the text from earlier, tap the appropriate location, and select Paste from the menu.
Aim your phone’s camera at the sign, paper, or other physical objects you need to copy text. Then, press the yellow scan button in the viewscreen’s lower right corner. Next, select the text you want to capture right now. Tap Copy after making your decision, then paste the content into the desired app.
Simply pushing down on an image on a website will allow you to copy the text. Next, select the text by choosing the “Show Text” option from the pop-up menu. Finally, to access the Copy command, hold down on the text that has been selected. The text can then be copied and pasted.
The sole disadvantage of copying text from a picture is that you might have to reformat it after you’ve pasted it, specifically by adding or eliminating paragraph returns. However, the Live Text AI generally does a decent job of accurately copying over the text in all other respects.
When you wish to copy text from a video, pause it at the frame where the text is present. Once the text is selected, apply pressure to it. Drag the grab points to select all the words you want from the menu, then choose Copy. The text can then be pasted into the app of your choice.
You can also copy text from a live video by taking a still photo. Tap the white shutter button in the lower area to snap a picture of the current scene while recording the video.
Once the video has been recorded, go to your Photos library, find the picture you took during the live broadcast, and isolate and copy the text by the instructions in the section above.
How to Call a Phone Number
A phone number that is shown in an image can be called. First, open the image, then tap the number by holding down on it. From the menu that appears, select Call [number] to make the call.
You can also call someone by pointing your device’s camera at a phone number written on a sign. Point at the picture when the Camera app is open. Then, in the bottom right corner, press the yellow scan button. Hold your finger on the displayed phone number to call and then press it.
Press the phone number in a picture or image on a webpage to dial it. To call the listed number, tap it. You can also use a recorded video to perform this. The video should be stopped at the frame that has the number. To call, press the number while holding down the button.
How to Send an Email
The same principle applies when sending an email from an address that appears in an image. When creating and sending an email, hold down on the address and select New Mail Message to use an existing photo.
Point your camera towards the sign, poster, or other physical things to use the address, then press the yellow scan button. To send an email, depress the address. Additionally, you can tap a snapshot of an email address published on a website, choose the address that appears, and then compose your email using that address.
When an email address appears in a recorded video, pause the film, hold down on it, and then tap the address.
How to Translate Text
Open the image in your collection, pick the text by pressing down on it, and then choose “Translate.” Next, select the “Translate” option by tapping the right arrow in the menu. To hear the original text and the translation, tap Change Language on the Translate screen, then tap the Play button.
You can also translate text from that object by pointing your iPhone’s camera at a physical thing and pressing the yellow “scan” button. Then, to change the translated language, hit the Translate command while holding down the command key on your keyboard.
Press down on the image or photo to pick up the displayed text, then click the translate button. To view and hear the outcome, tap the Translate instruction.
How to Open a Web Search
A photo or video can be used as the starting point for a web search. On your device, hold down the text and choose the “Look Up” command to access an image. Then, thanks to Siri’s suggestions, you will see many websites. To open the desired result, tap it.
Aim your iPhone’s camera at the object and hit the yellow “scan” button to search for the text on the thing. The desired website will appear when you press down on the text and choose to Look Up. Likewise, if you press down on text in a picture and select the “Look Up” option, you can also look it up on a website.
How to Convert Currency
You can change a photo or video you capture of foreign currency into the currency unit set as the default on your mobile device. To accomplish this, press down on the foreign currency after taking the picture (or recording the video). If it’s working, you should see the amount translated into the currency of your nation.
How to Use Visual Look Up
Using Visual Look Up, you can drag and drop a person or object from a picture or video into another app. The drag-and-drop functionality works well on an iPad, where you can multitask and display multiple apps simultaneously.
Open the photo or video frame with the object you want to capture, then launch another app, such as Mail, in Split View. Next, drag the subject to the other app by pressing down on it. The focus should stand out from the background of the picture. The figure will display without the original background when you drop it into the other program.
You can use the same visual look-up method on an iPhone, but you’ll need to copy, paste, and share your work this time rather than drag and drop. First, open the frame of the picture or video where the object you wish to replicate is. Then, when you press down on a subject, a white outline with a command menu should move around it.
Then, paste the subject into another app by selecting Copy from the menu. Alternatively, you can press the Share option and choose who or which app you wish to share the cutout with.
Conclusion
Sharing your thoughts, ideas, images, and movies with friends and family can be accomplished by copying and pasting text from a photo or video onto an iPhone or iPad. However, text copying and pasting must be done carefully because mistakes can happen. You can ensure that your text is accurate and easy to copy and paste by applying the particular advice in this manual.
