How to Copy Text From a Screenshot
Learn how to copy unselectable words from app, website and presentation screenshots using browser OCR.
5 min read · PublishedA screenshot makes information easy to save but difficult to edit. OCR solves that problem by recognizing the visible words and returning selectable text.
Capture a clean screenshot
Zoom the source until its text is comfortably readable before taking the screenshot. Avoid including toolbars, notifications and unrelated panels because they add text that you will need to remove later.
- Capture at the device's native resolution
- Crop to the relevant conversation, slide or panel
- Do not resize a small screenshot upward and expect new detail
Extract the visible words
Upload the PNG or JPG to Screenshot to Text, choose the source language and run recognition. You can edit the output directly before copying it.
Screenshots are often strong OCR sources because digitally rendered letters have sharp edges. Small interface labels, low-contrast disabled text and overlapping windows can still cause errors.
Keep context and privacy in mind
A copied sentence can lose the context visible around it. Preserve speaker names, dates or slide titles when they matter, and verify quoted material against the screenshot.
Crop personal notifications, account details and private conversations before sharing or processing a screenshot. Core OCR is local, but the extracted text can still be sensitive once you paste it elsewhere.
Use the right output
Plain text is best for quick notes and search. Choose Image to Word when you want a simple editable document, or Translate Image Text when the recognized words need translation.