Ethical Tube
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Convert image to text

Extract editable text from a photo, screenshot, scan, JPG, PNG, HEIC, or other common image with OCR that runs in your browser. The image stays on your device, and you can review and copy the recognized text as soon as it finishes.

Files are converted on your device and never uploaded.

Price
Free
Uploads
None, it runs on your device
Sign-up
Not needed
Inputs
JPG, PNG, HEIC, WebP, and more
Languages
English plus 12 more
First use
6 MB download, once

How it works

How to convert image to text

  1. Add your files

    Drop files onto the converter, click to choose them, or paste from the clipboard. Add as many as you like.

  2. Check the settings

    Pick the language of the text. English is built in, and other languages download once when you choose them.

  3. Download your text files

    Copy the result from the preview, or download it. With several files, Download all saves them in one ZIP file.

Good to know

What to expect

  • Printed text in clear photos, scans, and screenshots is recognized best. Handwriting usually isn't.
  • Paragraph breaks are kept. Fonts, colors, columns, and tables aren't.
  • English is built in. Choose another language before converting, and it downloads once.
  • The first conversion downloads Tesseract OCR compiled to WebAssembly (6 MB). It's cached, so later visits start quickly.
  • Blurry, tilted, or low-contrast photos produce more mistakes, so check the text before you rely on it.

FAQ

Questions, answered

How can I get the best image-to-text result?

Use a sharp, upright image with even lighting and text large enough to read. Crop away unrelated objects, choose the correct language, and avoid glare, shadows, handwriting, and heavily stylized fonts.

Is the image to text converter free?

Yes. It's completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark, and no limit on how many files you convert. It costs Ethical Tube nothing to run, because the conversion happens on your own device rather than on a server.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything runs inside your browser with Tesseract OCR compiled to WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device. Once the page has loaded, it even works offline.

Does it work on iPhone, Android, Mac, and Windows?

Yes. It works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari, on computers and phones. Large batches finish faster on a computer.

How do I copy text from a screenshot?

Paste the screenshot onto this page (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V), or drop the image file. The recognized text appears in a box with a Copy button a few seconds later.

Can it read handwriting?

Only very neat handwriting, and with mistakes. Tesseract, the OCR engine used here, is trained on printed text, so it's most accurate on documents, signs, receipts, and screenshots.

Can it read scanned documents?

Yes. Scans and photos have no text layer, so the text is read with OCR (optical character recognition) in your browser. It handles clear printed text well, makes occasional mistakes, and usually can't read handwriting.

Is there a file size limit?

There's no upload limit because nothing is uploaded. The practical limit is your device's memory: everyday files are fine, and most computers handle images up to about 100 megapixels.

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