How-To

How to Copy Text From an Image in Google Photos

By Bryan M. Wolfe

Updated November 27, 2023

Google Photos’ “copy text to image” feature now works through web browsers. It once was exclusive to Android-based machines.

First introduced on Android, Google Photo’s “Copy Text From Image” feature has made the jump to web browsers. The feature lets you scan for text in an image then use copy and paste to move the text elsewhere. It works through Google Lens technology. Here’s how to use it.

Copy Text From Image

Ideally suited for scanning a receipt or perhaps a page in a book or magazine, the option is extremely simple to use. To get started:

1. Log into your Google account on the Google Photos website from any browser.
2. Find a photo with text, then double-click on it to expand.
3. Click the “copy text from image” from the pop-up box. You’ll only see this box when Google Lens detects text.
4. Copy/Paste the content you want from the text pane.

In the following example, Google Photos for the web detects text from an iPhone screenshot. From there, it automatically activates the stated feature.

Meanwhile, in this example, Google Lens can read the text from a tiny sign within an image, then activate the “Copy Text From Image” feature. Notice how the tool identifies text from different locations on the photo.

Not Perfect

The Copy Text From Image option on the web doesn’t catch every word, likely by design. Additionally, not every Google  Lens feature has been carried over (for now) from Android. For example, you can’t yet translate non-English text in an image even though you can copy it. Additionally, Google Lens on the web can’t yet identify objects such as plants and animals.

Other Google Photos News and Options

We’ve discussed Google Photos often at GroovyPost across multiple platforms. For example, did you know you could seamlessly transfer photos from iCloud into Google Photos? Or that you can use Google Photos as a screensaver on Google TV?

Google Photos was first introduced in May 2015 and is now available on multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, the web, and many more. The service automatically analyzes photos and identifies various visual features and subjects. Users can search for anything in photos, with the service showing the results in three major categories: People, Places, and Things. Machine learning is an important Google Photos component. This technology allows for the recognition of photo contents, automatically generates albums, animate similar photos into quick videos, improves the quality of photos and videos, and more.