What if you needed to type in the notes from all the screenshots you took from online Zoom lectures or meetings? It would be such a hassle to sit for hours and type in the notes manually.
Android already has a feature called Google Lens, which helps you sort this problem by detecting the text and giving you an option to directly copy it. Apple users are also able to download this application.
But what if I tell you that you don’t need to download any applications, as Apple has released a new feature called Live Text with the release of iOS 15? This feature is in-built and is here to make your work easy by doing the typing work for you. Let me tell you more about this feature.
This new iOS 15 feature allows you to extract text from photos you’ve taken or saved on your iPhone. You can then copy the text and paste it into any text field. If you have iOS 15 or later, you can use Live Text to copy text, translate languages, make calls, and do a variety of other things.
What is Live Text?
The Live Text feature is built in such a way that it will be able to recognize text from our photos and online images. With this feature, you can make calls, send emails, or look up directions with just a single tap.
Live text is used in many different ways, such as using live text in Camera, Notes, Reminders, etc. In order to use live text, you first need to enable it from the settings app.
Users can then copy-paste the text, look it up, translate it, or even call the number if it is a phone number. Apple’s system is intelligent enough to recognize the text being extracted.
Is Live Text and Google Lens the Same?
It can be said that Live text is similar to how Google Lens works. In Google Lens, the camera can be pointed at an image, a book, or a business card. Then, Live Text can recognize useful information in photos or online images, such as a phone number or email address.
Similarly, the Live Text feature in the Camera app can also be accessed by pointing the device camera at a photo or image with text and then tapping the indicator icon.
How To Enable Live Text Feature?
- On your iPhone go to “Settings” app.
- Then go to “General.”
- Tap on “Language and Region.”
- Enable “Live Text” feature.
Which iPhone Models Support Live Text Feature?
Not all iPhone models will support the live text feature. For this feature to work, you are going to need an iPhone XS, iPhone XR or later with iOS 15 or a later version of iOS.
It will also be available on the iPad pro 3rd generation or later, iPad pro-11-inch (all models), iPad air 3rd generation or later, iPad 8th generation or later, and iPad mini 5th generation or later with iPadOS 15.1 or later.
How To Use Live Text (Photos App):
You can use the Live Text feature on any image saved in your Photos app. It can be any photo, such as screenshots, saved photos, images you have clicked from the Camera app, etc.
- Go to the “Photos” app on your iPhone.
- Select “Photos,” which has text on it.
- When you open a photo with text, a square icon will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen.
- Click on that icon. (If you don’t find any such icon on the screen after opening the image, we can assume that there are not any recognizable words in the photo.)
- The text in the image will be shown and the rest of the image you will find blurred.
- Press and hold the text to highlight it.
- Once the text is selected, you can copy, share, or translate it.
How To Use Live Text (Camera App):
Using this feature in the camera has to be hands down the best thing Apple has offered for the live text feature. Just point your camera at the image and it will recognize the text automatically. It’s that simple.
- Open the “Camera” app on your iPhone.
- Point your camera at the text.
- A Live Text icon will appear on the screen. Tap on it.
- By doing so, your camera will immediately highlight the text.
- Press and hold the text to select it.
- Once the text is selected, you can copy, share, or translate it.
How To Use Live Text (Messages App):
- Open the “Messages” app on your iPhone.
- Start a new conversation or open existing one.
- Click on the Message field.
- Tap “Scan Text.”
- In place of the keyboard, a small preview window will appear.
- Align the camera preview with the text.
- Tap Insert to insert the text you just grabbed into the message.
Other Features to Look For:
The few things I like the most about live text is that no matter how old the photo is, if the text is visible, this feature will automatically detect it.
Another thing is that Live Text understands English, Chinese, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish, and it also works with both typed and handwritten text. Furthermore, it translates the text for us.
Isn’t that fascinating?