100% Private Client-Side OCR

Extract text from an image
online for free.

Select specific words, lines, or paragraphs directly on top of your image or PDF. No signup required, zero server uploads.

Start Extracting FreeHow It Works
Free forever
Works on mobile
100+ languages

How It Works

Three steps. Zero friction.

Traditional OCR tools dump everything. We let you pick exactly what you need.

01

Drop Your Image

Paste from clipboard, drag & drop, or upload. Any screenshot or photo with text works.

02

Select What You Need

Text appears directly on the image. Tap words, lines, or entire paragraphs to select.

03

Copy & Done

One tap to copy. Line breaks preserved. No signup, no server upload, no waiting.

Features

Everything you need,
nothing you don't.

Built for speed, privacy, and simplicity. No bloat, no ads, no server uploads.

Select Individual Words

Tap any word on the image to select it. No more copying everything and deleting what you don't need.

Text Over Image

Recognized text appears directly on top of the original image, exactly where it belongs. Like iOS Live Text.

One-Tap Copy

Selected text copies to your clipboard with a single tap. Line breaks and formatting preserved perfectly.

100% Client-Side

Your images never leave your device. All OCR processing runs in your browser using Web Workers for speed and privacy.

100+ Languages

From English to Japanese, Arabic to Hindi — select your language and extract text in any script.

No Signup Required

Open the page and start extracting. No accounts, no API keys, no rate limits. Completely free, forever.

Complete Guide & Documentation

Extracts Text: The Ultimate Guide to Extracting Text from Images & PDFs

Everything you need to know about how to extract text from an image online for free with 100% privacy and zero server uploads.

What is Extracts Text?

Extracts Text is a free, modern web utility designed to solve one of the most common friction points in digital workflows: pulling readable, editable text out of un-copyable images, screenshots, scanned documents, and locked PDFs. Whether you need to extract text from an image online for free, copy code snippets from video tutorials, convert handwritten notes, or extract table contents, Extracts Text gives you instant access to your text directly in your web browser.

Unlike traditional Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tools that force you to upload sensitive files to remote cloud servers, Extracts Text performs all text recognition locally on your machine using advanced WebAssembly (Wasm) technology. Your images and documents never leave your browser, providing 100% data privacy alongside blistering performance.

How to Extract Text from an Image Online for Free

Learning how to extract text from an image with our tool requires no installation, software downloads, or user accounts. Follow these three quick steps to extract text from the image of your choice:

Step 1

Upload or Paste Your Image

Drag and drop any image file (PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, or BMP), click "Browse Files", or simply press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on Mac) to paste a screenshot directly from your clipboard. You can also use your mobile or desktop camera for live document scanning.

Step 2

Select Your Preferred Language & Mode

Choose from over 100 supported languages (including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Hindi). The AI OCR engine automatically highlights every detected word directly over the image.

Step 3

Tap, Select & Copy

Tap individual words, drag across lines, or select full paragraphs. Click "Copy" to instantly transfer the exact text you selected straight to your system clipboard, preserving line breaks and formatting.

How to Select Text from Image (Interactive Overlay)

Traditional OCR tools output a plain text box filled with unformatted text, requiring you to delete headers, navigation bars, and irrelevant background captions manually. Extracts Text changes the game with an interactive iOS Live Text-style overlay.

When you want to know how to select text from image layouts accurately:

  • Word Mode: Click or tap individual words to build custom selections without capturing surrounding noise.
  • Line Mode: Click any line of text to select the entire line in a single action.
  • Paragraph Mode: Click any paragraph block to select multi-line passages effortlessly.
  • Shift + Click Range Selection: Click a starting word, hold Shift, and click an ending word to highlight everything in between.

How to Select Text in PDF & Extract Text from PDF Documents

Scanned PDF files, flattened e-books, and non-searchable PDF invoices often lock text inside rasterized image layers, leaving users wondering how to select text in PDF files that won't allow highlighting.

To extract text from PDF documents using Extracts Text:

  1. Take a quick screenshot of the PDF page or snippet you wish to convert.
  2. Paste the screenshot directly into Extracts Text using Ctrl+V.
  3. Hover over the recognized text overlay to select and copy the exact sentences, formulas, or numbers you require.

By eliminating the need to upload full 50-page PDF files to external servers, you can extract text from PDF screenshots in milliseconds with zero privacy risks.

Key Advantages of Extracts Text Client-Side OCR

🔒 100% Private & Secure

Your images, sensitive financial receipts, confidential contracts, and personal notes are never uploaded to any remote server. All OCR processing runs locally in your web browser.

⚡ Lightning-Fast Execution

Powered by WebAssembly and browser Web Workers, extract text from an image online with instant processing speed — even on mobile devices.

🌐 100+ Multi-Language Support

Seamlessly extract text from images in Latin, Cyrillic, CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), Arabic, Devanagari (Hindi), and dozens of other scripts.

📱 Mobile & Tablet Responsive

Designed with touch-first interactions. Easily extract text from an image using your smartphone or tablet with single-tap word selection.

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Find quick answers to common questions about extracting text from images, mobile devices, and PDF files.

01

What is an extract in text?

An extract in text is a selected portion, quote, or snippet pulled from a larger document, image, screenshot, or PDF file. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology scans visual image pixels and converts them into selectable, editable, and copyable digital text.

02

Can I extract text from an image for free?

Yes, you can extract text from an image for free using Extracts Text. It is 100% free with no registration, subscriptions, hidden paywalls, or limits on the number of images you can convert.

03

How to extract text from image on phone?

To extract text from an image on your phone (iPhone or Android), open your web browser and go to Extracts Text. Tap to upload an image from your camera roll or take a new picture. Tap on any highlighted word or sentence to copy the text directly to your clipboard.

04

What app can I use to extract text from a picture?

You can use the free Extracts Text web application directly in any browser without installing an app. If you prefer native apps, Apple Live Text (on iOS) and Google Lens (on Android) are built-in features for pulling text from pictures.

05

How can I extract text from an image online?

To extract text from an image online, open Extracts Text in your browser, drag and drop your image, or paste it using Ctrl+V. The online OCR engine scans the image and overlays selectable text boxes so you can select and copy exact lines or words.

06

How to extract text from an image in mobile?

Extracting text from an image on mobile requires no software downloads. Navigate to Extracts Text on your mobile web browser, choose an image or snap a photo, and single-tap any word or line to copy it straight to your device clipboard.

07

Extract text online

Extract text online effortlessly using browser-based OCR utilities like Extracts Text. Process screenshots, receipts, invoices, or scanned documents directly inside your browser without uploading sensitive files to remote servers.

08

Extract text free

Extract text free with Extracts Text. Powered by local WebAssembly client-side OCR, our tool allows unlimited text extraction from images and PDFs without any accounts, ads, or hidden charges.

09

Extract text from image online

To extract text from image online, visit Extracts Text, upload any PNG, JPG, WebP, or screenshot, select your language, and highlight the desired text directly over the image to copy it in seconds.

10

Extract text from PDF

To extract text from PDF documents, take a screenshot of your PDF page and upload or paste it into Extracts Text. Our client-side OCR reads non-searchable or scanned PDF text instantly for easy copying.

Ready to extract?

Paste. Select. Copy.

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