Let’s have a look at the Free Microsoft Tool to Extract Text from Images on Windows 11 Devices. Microsoft integrates AI with most of its Windows 11 echo system tools.
The Windows AI integration announcement came out at the Microsoft Event on Sep 21, 2023. Microsoft Copilot is a vision for a consistent AI assistant across Bing, Edge, Microsoft 365, and Windows.
Along with Microsoft Copilot on Windows, they are integrating AI and the most used tools in Windows 11, such as MS Paint, Photos App, Snipping Tool, Clipchamp video editor, etc. This AI integration comes with a lot of additional features, such as extracting text from Images.
In this post, we will discuss how to extract text from images you have scanned or captured using the Snipping Tool. Snipping Tool helps you quickly capture screenshots, photos, and other images with your pen, touch, or mouse and save, paste, or share with other apps.
Video – Extract Text from Images
Let’s discuss about the Free Tool for Text Extraction from Images from Microsoft. Free Microsoft Tool to Extract Text from Images with the help of AI. This tool uses Windows 11 as an inbox application and AI integration.
Launch Snipping Tool
Microsoft recently added the extract text from images and redaction feature to the latest version of the Snipping tool. Using the search option, you can launch the Snipping tool from the Start Menu.
- Click on the Start Menu
- Click on the Search Button
- Type in Snipping Tool
- Click on the Snipping Tool App as shown below
Extract Text from Images using the Snipping Tool
To get started with extract text from images feature, you have to navigate to the ”text actions” button on your snipping screen.
- Capture the image you want to extract using the Snipping Tool
- Once the image is captured in the Snipping tool, you will be able to see the new button called TEXT ACTIONS.
- Click on the Text Actions button to extract text from images.
Now it’s time to extract the text from the image that is captured using the snipping tool in Windows 11. I have tried the scanned copy images, as you can see below.
- Click on the Copy All Text button to copy all the text from the scanned image
NOTE! – For the image below, the extract text feature could extract only the image’s first half (as you can see as highlighted). It was not able to detect the text in the later part of the image. Well, it’s still early stages.
Once you click on Copy All Text, the tool will be able to extract all the text from the image, and those texts will be copied to the clipboard of the Windows 11 device.
You also have an option to copy only the selected text from the given image. In the below example, I have selected only the “CHECK AS REQUIRED” part of the image.
- Select the portal of the image that you want to extract text.
- Right-click on the selected portion of the image and then click on Copy Text (CTRL + C).
- Paste the extracted text to Notepad or wherever you want.
Snipping Tool Redact Text
Now let’s check how to Redact Text feature in the Snipping tool. The redact text feature from the Snipping tool will help you hide sensitive information on images.
You can completely black out any text you don’t want to show, such as an email address and Phone Number within your screenshots or a category of information.
- Click on the Text Actions button after capturing the image.
- Click on the Quick Redact option and make sure that Email Addresses and Phone Numbers are selected.
- This setting ensures that Email IDs and Phone Numbers from the captured image will be blacked out.
You can select a particular portion of the captured image and hide that information using the Redact text feature.
- Select the portal of the image that you want to Redact text (blackout).
- Right-click on the selected portion of the image and then click on Redact Text (CTRL + R).
Now it’s time to check out the Redact text or blackout text experience from the Snipping Tool, as you can see below.
Resources – The most personal Windows 11 experience begins rolling out today | Windows Experience Blog
Author
Vidya is a computer enthusiast. She is here to share quick tips and tricks with Windows 11 or Windows 10 users. She loves writing on Windows 11 and related technologies. She is also keen to find solutions and write about day-to-day tech problems.