How to copy text from paper or a picture on iPhone

Retyping a paragraph from a printout, a recipe card or a screenshot is slow and error-prone. Text recognition (OCR) reads the words for you, so you can paste them into an email, a note or a document.

  1. 1

    Open Tools › Extract text

    Choose where the text is: Camera, Photos, Files, or a document already in ScanMojo.

  2. 2

    Point and tap the shutter

    In the camera, frame the text and tap the shutter. The words are read on your iPhone in a moment.

  3. 3

    Select, copy or share

    Select the part you need, or use Copy All. Nothing is saved, so this is ideal for a quick grab.

Getting the text out of a scan

Every document you scan with ScanMojo already has its text recognized. Share it as Text (TXT) to get all the words as a plain text file, or extract the text from it to copy a part.

For a document with columns and tables that should keep its layout, ScanMojo Pro exports to Word or Excel, laid out like the page.

Accuracy tips

Printed text in good light reads best. Fill the frame with the text you want, keep the phone parallel to the page, and avoid glare on glossy paper.

Questions

Does text recognition need an internet connection?

No. It runs on your iPhone, so it works offline and the text never leaves the phone.

Is OCR free in ScanMojo?

Yes. Text recognition, search, and exporting text are free.

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