Have you ever looked at a photo or screenshot containing text you needed and thought:
“Well, I guess I’m typing all of that.”
Nope. 😂
Before you start retyping something that already exists, give Google Lens a try.
Google Lens can recognize text inside an image and allow you to select and copy it just like other digital text.
That means the words trapped inside your photo don’t necessarily have to stay trapped there.
📺 Watch the video below
Google Lens Can Do More Than Search With a Picture
You may already know that Google Lens can help you identify something in a photo or search for a product when you don’t know what it’s called.
But visual search is only one of the things Lens can do.
It can also recognize text.
So instead of using an image to search for something, you can use Lens to identify the words inside that image and make them usable.
That’s a completely different problem—and a very handy solution.
What Kind of Text Can You Copy?
Think about all the times information comes to you as an image rather than editable text.
Maybe you have:
- A screenshot containing information you need
- A photo of a printed document
- Instructions on a package
- A flyer or handout
- A picture of notes
- An image you saved online
If Google Lens can recognize the text, you may be able to select what you need and copy it.
Then you can paste it into a document, email, note, message, or wherever else you need it.
How to Grab Text With Google Lens
Open the image you want to use with Google Lens.
Choose the option for working with Text, and Lens will identify the words it recognizes in the image.
From there, select the portion you want.
You don’t necessarily have to copy everything.
Maybe there’s one sentence you need.
Maybe it’s a phone number, address, product information, or an entire paragraph.
Select the appropriate text, choose Copy, and then paste it wherever you need it.
And congratulations—you’ve just avoided a bunch of unnecessary typing. 🎉
You Can Use Photos You’ve Already Taken
Here’s another important part of this trick:
You don’t necessarily need to point your camera at something in the moment.
If you already have a photo or screenshot containing the information you need, you can use Google Lens with that existing image.
That makes screenshots especially useful.
See something you might need later?
Capture it.
Then use Lens when you’re ready to pull the text out of it.
Always Check the Text Before You Use It
As convenient as text recognition is, technology isn’t perfect.
Google Lens may occasionally misread a word, number, punctuation mark, or unusual formatting.
So before you paste copied text into something important and hit Send or Publish, give it a quick review.
This is especially important for things like:
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Website addresses
- Prices
- Dates
- Instructions
- Names
Let technology save you the typing.
You still provide the judgment.
Stop Retyping Information That Already Exists
This is one of my favorite kinds of technology tips because it solves such a small, everyday annoyance.
You don’t need an elaborate system.
You don’t need to become an expert in Google Lens.
You just need to remember:
If the words already exist in an image, see if technology can grab them before you type them all over again.
That’s how technology starts saving you time—not necessarily through one enormous change, but through dozens of little moments when you stop doing something the hard way.
So the next time you’re staring at a picture and preparing to retype everything you see…
Don’t.
Let Google Lens grab the text for you. 💙
