InSnapHow to Copy Text From a Screenshot or Image on Mac and Windows
Turn the words in a screenshot into text you can copy. Built-in options on Mac and Windows, plus a fast on-device OCR workflow with InSnap.
You often need the words from an image: an error message in a screenshot, a line from a slide, a number in a scanned receipt. This is called OCR (optical character recognition). Here are the ways to do it on Mac and Windows.
On a Mac: Live Text
Recent versions of macOS include Live Text. Open an image in Preview, Quick Look or Photos, then click and drag over the words to select them and copy with Command-C. Live Text works on supported Macs; if the option is missing, check that your macOS version supports it.
On Windows: Snipping Tool and PowerToys
- Snipping Tool (Windows 11): after you take a snip, newer versions show a Text actions button that lets you copy all text or select specific words.
- PowerToys Text Extractor: if you install Microsoft PowerToys, press Windows key + Shift + T, drag over the text on screen, and it is copied to the clipboard.
The fast way: select text right on the screenshot with InSnap
InSnap's OCR works the moment you capture, on both Mac and Windows, and it runs entirely on your device, so nothing is uploaded.
- Press the capture hotkey (Command-1 on Mac, Ctrl+1 on Windows) and drag a box over the text.
- Click the OCR button on the toolbar.
- The recognized text appears in a panel beside the selection. You can also click and drag directly on the image to select words, a line, or several lines.
- Press Command-C (Ctrl+C on Windows) to copy what you selected, or copy everything at once.
OCR in InSnap is free. It works best on clear, horizontal text. It reads Chinese, English and other Latin-alphabet languages (German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and more, accents included) plus numbers; Japanese, Korean and Russian text is not recognized reliably yet.
Tips for better recognition
- Capture at full resolution. Zooming a small image makes text blurry. Capture the original screen instead.
- Select only the text. A tight selection avoids picking up borders and icons.
- Check numbers and similar characters. The letter O and the digit 0, or l and 1, can be confused in any OCR tool, so skim important values.
FAQ
Is OCR free in InSnap?
Yes. Text recognition is part of the free app.
Which languages can InSnap's OCR read?
Chinese, English and Latin-alphabet languages such as German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Japanese, Korean and Russian text is not recognized reliably yet.
Does InSnap upload my screenshot for OCR?
No. Recognition runs on your computer using a bundled model, and the image never leaves your device.
Can I copy only part of the recognized text?
Yes. Drag across the words on the image, or click a line to select it, then copy. If nothing is selected, copying takes all the text.
How do I extract text from an image on Windows 10?
The Snipping Tool text actions are in Windows 11. On Windows 10 you can use PowerToys Text Extractor, or a screenshot tool with OCR such as InSnap.
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