Turn On OCR in Windows 11 Photos App: Guide

Windows 11’s Photos app includes a built-in OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature that can extract text from images and screenshots. This guide walks you through enabling and using it, so you can copy text from photos without needing third-party software. You’ll need the Photos app updated to a recent version—the OCR feature is part of the app’s built-in text recognition, not a separate toggle in Windows Settings.

What You’ll Need

• A PC running Windows 11 with the Photos app installed (it comes pre-installed).
• The Photos app updated to version 2024.11020.21001.0 or later—check the Microsoft Store for updates.
• An image file (PNG, JPG, BMP, or TIFF) containing clear, legible text.

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Photos app. Click the Start button, type “Photos,” and press Enter, or find the app in your Start menu’s pinned list.
2. Open your image. Click “Browse” in the top-left, navigate to your image, and double-click it to open it in the viewer. Alternatively, right-click the image file in File Explorer and select “Open with” → “Photos.”
3. Activate text recognition. Once the image is open, look for the “Text actions” button in the top toolbar—it looks like a small square with an “A” inside. If you don’t see it, click the “…” (ellipsis) menu at the top right and select “Text actions” from the dropdown.
4. Copy the detected text. Clicking “Text actions” will automatically scan the image and highlight any text it finds. A small toolbar will appear with options: “Copy text” (copies all detected text to your clipboard) and “Copy all text” (same function, but available in some versions).
5. Select specific text (optional). If you only want part of the text, click and drag your mouse over the highlighted text in the image to select it, then right-click and choose “Copy.”
6. Paste the text. Open your destination app (Word, Notepad, an email, etc.) and press Ctrl+V to paste the copied text.

Common Mistakes

• Looking for a Settings toggle. There is no global “Enable OCR” switch in Windows Settings. The feature is always on in the Photos app; you just need to use the “Text actions” button on each image.
• Using an outdated Photos app. If you don’t see the “Text actions” button, your app is likely outdated. Update it via the Microsoft Store (see Troubleshooting below).
• Expecting OCR on all file types. The feature works on raster images (JPG, PNG, etc.) but not on vector formats like SVG or on PDFs—those require a different tool.
• Clicking the image instead of the button. The “Text actions” button is in the toolbar, not on the image itself. Clicking the image just zooms or pans.

Tips

• Use high-resolution images. OCR accuracy drops significantly on blurry, low-res, or heavily compressed images. Screenshots at 100% zoom work best.
• Check the language. The Photos app OCR supports many languages, but it auto-detects. If you have multi-language text, it may miss some. For best results, keep the image to one language.
• Use “Copy all text” for long documents. If the image has multiple paragraphs, the “Copy all text” option grabs everything in one go, preserving line breaks.
• Combine with the Snipping Tool. For text in a video or a webpage, take a screenshot with Snipping Tool (Win+Shift+S), then open that screenshot in Photos and run Text actions.
• Edit before copying. You can’t edit the detected text in Photos, but you can select a specific region to copy only that part—useful for skipping watermarks or logos.

Troubleshooting

• No “Text actions” button appears. This almost always means your Photos app is outdated. Open the Microsoft Store, click “Library” in the bottom-left, then “Get updates.” Install any pending Photos app updates, then restart your PC and try again.
• Text is highlighted but “Copy text” is grayed out. This can happen if the OCR engine detected no actual text (e.g., the image is a photo of a landscape with no text). Try a different image with clear, high-contrast text.
• Copied text is garbled or wrong. The OCR misread the image. Improve the image quality: increase contrast, straighten the image, or re-take the screenshot at a higher resolution. Also, ensure the text isn’t rotated or upside down.
• Feature works in the old Photos app but not the new one. Microsoft has been rolling out a new Photos app design. If you’re on the old version, the button might be under the “…” menu. If you’re on the new version, it’s in the top toolbar. If neither works, update the app.
• OCR works on some images but not others. Check the file format—Photos supports OCR on JPG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF. If your image is a HEIC (iPhone) or RAW format, convert it to JPG/PNG first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the OCR feature free?
A: Yes, it’s built into the Windows 11 Photos app at no extra cost. You don’t need a subscription or third-party software.

Q: Can I use OCR on a PDF in the Photos app?
A: No, the Photos app doesn’t open PDFs. For PDFs, use Microsoft Edge (which has a built-in PDF reader with text selection) or a dedicated PDF editor.

Q: Does the OCR work offline?
A: Yes, the text recognition runs locally on your PC. You don’t need an internet connection, and your images aren’t uploaded to any server.

Q: What languages does the OCR support?
A: It supports a wide range of languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and many others. It auto-detects the language, but accuracy varies with handwriting and stylized fonts.

Q: Can I edit the text directly in the Photos app?
A: No, you can only copy it. To edit, paste the text into Word, Notepad, or any text editor.

Q: Why does the OCR miss some words?
A: Common causes: small font sizes, low contrast, decorative fonts, or text on a busy background. Try cropping the image to just the text area before running Text actions.

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