How to copy text from a screenshot on iPhone
Open the screenshot in Photos, use Live Text to select the words, then choose Copy. CaptureMind can also copy recognized text from an indexed screenshot. Paste the result into a draft and compare any important characters and line breaks with the image before you use it.
Select only what you need in Photos
Use Live Text when you already have the screenshot open and want one line or a few words. Live Text availability varies by language and region. If needed, check the Live Text switch under Settings, General, Language & Region.
- Open the screenshot in Photos and tap the Detect Text button when it appears.
- Touch and hold the text, then drag the selection handles to include the words you need.
- Choose Copy and paste the text into a draft in Notes or another app.
Copy recognized text in CaptureMind
CaptureMind reads text from screenshots it can access. Open the indexed screenshot and use the app’s copy option for its recognized text. If the copied result includes several lines, paste it into a draft and remove the lines you do not need.
If the screenshot is missing from CaptureMind, check the app’s access to that image. If you can see the screenshot in Photos, try Live Text there.
Check the paste against the image
Suppose a fictional screenshot reads Room 204 and Reference B0-071 on separate lines. After pasting, check the zero after B, the dash, and the leading zero in 071. A lookalike letter can change a reference even when the rest of the text reads normally.
Compare the screenshot and paste one line at a time if the order matters. For a reference you plan to submit, make that comparison before sending.
Handle a partial or empty result
If the selection is incomplete, try adjusting the handles. If a word is missing from the recognized text, check the image and type the word yourself. When the image itself is cropped or blurry, return to the original screen if it is available. Copy directly from the source if you can select the words there.
Questions
Can I copy just one sentence from a screenshot?
Yes, when Live Text detects it. Use the selection handles in Photos to include that sentence before tapping Copy.
Why did the pasted text look different from the screenshot?
Text recognition can confuse similar characters or miss parts of a line. Compare the result with the image and correct the details before using it.