How to extract text from images on Mac: Complete guide

If you need to quickly extract text from images but you don’t know how, it might bring your workflow to a halt. 

It’s better to be prepared and know how to automatically recognize text from an image, text inside the screenshot, capture text from a video, or copy an error message from a pop-up window. 

In cases like that, if you try to copy text from an image the regular way, it won’t work. While all text might seem the same to you, there’s a big difference between active and embedded text for your Mac.

That said, there are ways to transform JPG/PNG to text or copy text from a screenshot, using third-party apps and hidden macOS tricks. Being able to do so will drastically speed up your workflow (no more manual typing) and make previously tedious tasks easy. 

Prefer owning one tool? Get TextSniper in Setapp Marketplace, same app, same plans; from $9.99 one-time (1 device), $11.99 (3 devices), $14.99 (5 devices).

How to copy text from images on Mac?

Copying text from images on Mac is easier than you might think. You can extract text from YouTube videos, PDFs, images, screenshots, online presentations, websites, and photos using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tools:

• Try standard copy first: Use Command + C and Command + V to see if the text is already selectable.
• Use an OCR tool if needed: Apps like TextSniper make it simple to capture non-selectable text from any image or screen content.

With these tools, you can quickly convert images into editable text, making research, note-taking, and document editing much faster. Read on to get more details on each method.

Real-time text extraction from images

The fastest (and easiest) solution to copy image text from anywhere in real time is by using TextSniper. 

TextSniper is an essential utility for every Mac user. Activated by a simple shortcut (or through its menu bar icon), this OCR tool lets you select any area over any document or website on your Mac and instantly recognize the text it contains, which is then copied to your clipboard and can be pasted anywhere. 

TextSniper works for images, PDFs, videos, and even QR codes, and supports text in multiple languages. 

Tip: Take photos with your iPhone and quickly recognize the text later on a Mac.

How to extract text from images and videos

When you have an OCR tool like TextSniper installed on your Mac, extracting text from images and video becomes part of your daily workflow.

Here’s how to capture non-selectable text with TextSniper: 

1. Make sure the app is active in your menu bar.
2. Use the Shift + Command + 2 shortcut to activate OCR.
3. Drag a rectangle over the area you want to transcribe.
4. Press Command + V to paste the recognized text into any document you need.

Tip: TextSniper can even recognize QR codes within images.

How to extract text from images with Preview

Starting with macOS Monterey, Macs have the ability to read text from images thanks to Live Text, a seamless feature built right into popular default apps, such as Safari, Preview, Photos, and Quick Look. 

To extract text from images with Preview, open the image you want in Preview, and you’ll be able to select and copy image text as if it’s a regular text document. 

The downside of this method compared to TextSniper is that you’re limited to the documents and images that can be opened by Preview, whereas with TextSniper, you can screenshot text from livestreams, webinars, and anything else you can drag a rectangle around. 

Copy non-selectable text to Mac clipboard

To copy text from non-selectable images or PDFs on your Mac, you can use apps with built-in OCR (Optical Character Recognition). These tools automatically detect text within images and let you copy it to your clipboard, making it easy to extract information that would otherwise be locked in an image. There are certain tools that can help you do this.

Tool #1: CleanShot X

For example, CleanShot X combines advanced screenshot capabilities with a robust OCR feature, letting you capture any screen area, full webpages, videos, or timed screenshots and instantly convert the content into editable text.

In addition, CleanShot X allows you to hide desktop icons, save images to CleanShot Cloud, as well as annotate, highlight, and blur on the spot. 

To use CleanShots X’s picture to text functionality: 

1. Click on the CleanShot X icon in the menu bar.
2. Select Capture Text (OCR).
3. Drag a rectangle around the text you want to transcribe.
4. Paste the text into any text editor.

Tool #2: Xnapper

Another helpful app to copy non-selectable text to the Mac clipboard  is Xnapper. 

Xnapper turns any screenshots into shareable and great-looking designs. You can change the background, add rounded corners, leave a watermark, center the image automatically, redact personal information, and scan text from images. 

To read text from images with Xnapper, just take a screenshot with it, and it will make all text selectable by default. 

Tool #3: Eney (Extract + act)

When I need text from a video frame or a PDF and want it translated, I use Eney (you get free AI credits with it), a Mac AI assistant from Setapp. I activate Wand (basically, just shake a mouse) and draw a box around the text. Eney reads it and suggests a translation or summary.

TextSniper is faster when you only need the text on the clipboard. Eney is the better pick when the next step is translating or summarizing. 

Extract text from scanned documents using OCR

While you can use tools like TextSniper, CleanShot X, and Xnapper to extract text from images, they are not the best apps for transcribing long-form documents.

Prizmo is a scanning tool, perfect for capturing everything from books to receipts, to movie posters. Its OCR capability allows you to search full documents for keywords in dozens of languages.

All you need to do is upload an image from any scanner, and Prizmo will handle the rest, from cropping to fixing perspective, to other minor tweaks. Then click Recognize in the top bar to turn on the OCR functionality.

For full instructions, refer to the detailed PDF to text conversion guide.

If you want to extract text from images on your iPhone, there is an iOS version of Prizmo. Give it a try. 

Extract text from images using online tools

You can securely extract text from images or PDFs on Mac using Google Drive’s OCR in Google Docs. It’s reliable and convenient if you already use Google Workspace.

How to convert PDFs or images to text:

1. Upload your file to Google Drive.
2. Right-click > Open with > Google Docs.
3. Review and correct minor formatting or OCR errors.
4. Use Drive’s search to find specific words in PDFs.

Tips for better OCR results:

• Use clear, high-quality images.
• Avoid stylized fonts or handwriting.
• Break large PDFs into smaller sections for faster processing.

Other secure online OCR tools:

• Adobe Acrobat online (reliable formatting)
• Microsoft OneDrive + Word (automatic PDF OCR)
• Smallpdf / PDFCandy (paid versions offer encrypted processing)

You might know that there are free online tools that promise quick text extractions from images and PDFs, but I’d advise against using them due to potential security issues, unless you’re 100% sure of their quality.

Extract text from receipts and invoices on Mac

The majority of receipts you get are either digital in the form of PDFs or analog, which you then have to take a picture of and upload to your Mac. 

Getting useful receipt information, from payees to amounts, by typing it out is tedious. Plus, most of us tend to store receipts all over the place. 

Receipts is an app that solves those problems and simplifies the bookkeeping process on your Mac. You can upload receipts in multiple formats and have the app recognize their category, dates, payee, sums, and more automatically. Then you can filter your receipts, integrate them into other accounting-related apps, or export them for further use. 

As you can see, there are lots of ways to capture text from video, images, presentations, webinars, and even business expenses. Try TextSniper, CleanShot X, Xnapper, Prizmo, and Receipts to find out your favorite. 

Use 250+ curated apps, including TextSniper, CleanShot X, and Receipts on Setapp, and cancel anytime. Join Setapp today. If you only need one OCR app, buy TextSniper via Setapp Marketplace, trusted and security-checked; from $9.99 one-time (1 device), $11.99 (3 devices), $14.99 (5 devices).