The iPhone’s built-in text scanner is a useful tool that allows users to extract text from images or physical documents. This feature can come in handy in numerous situations, such as when you need to quickly copy information from a piece of paper, save a printed document as digital text, or translate text from a foreign language.

Here’s everything you need to know about the iPhone’s built-in text scanner:

How to access the text scanner

The text scanner feature is located within the iPhone’s camera app. To access it:

1. Open the camera app on your iPhone.

2. Point the camera at the document or image you want to scan.

3. Tap on the text scanner icon, which looks like a small rectangle with three lines at the bottom. This will activate the text scanner.

How to use the text scanner

Once you’ve activated the text scanner, simply aim the camera at the document or image you want to scan. The app will automatically detect text within the image and highlight it in yellow.

To capture the highlighted text, tap on the shutter button at the bottom of the screen. The text will then be extracted and displayed on the screen in editable form.

You can then edit the extracted text as needed, copy it to your clipboard, or share it with other apps.

Other features of the text scanner

In addition to extracting text, the iPhone’s text scanner also has some useful features that make it even more versatile:

1. Language detection: The text scanner can detect the language of the text being scanned and automatically translate it into your selected language.

2. Text recognition: The text scanner can recognize handwriting and even cursive writing, making it easier to scan and extract text from a variety of sources.

3. Accessibility: The text scanner can also be used to help those with visual impairments by reading aloud the extracted text.

Limitations of the text scanner

While the text scanner is a handy tool, it’s not perfect and has some limitations to keep in mind:

1. Limited accuracy: The text scanner may not always accurately recognize and extract text, especially if the font is unusual or the image is blurry.

2. Limited language support: The text scanner may not support certain languages or scripts, making it difficult to extract text from non-roman languages.

3. Limited functionality: The text scanner is designed primarily for simple tasks like extracting text. It may not be as useful for more complex tasks like document scanning or OCR (optical character recognition).

Overall, the iPhone’s text scanner is a handy tool for quickly extracting text from images or physical documents. While it has some limitations, it’s a great option for anyone who needs to extract text on the go or in a pinch.