Live Text: Copy Real-World Text with Your iPhone Camera

![Live Text: Copy Real-World Text with Your iPhone Camera](/api/v1/images/b8ee2af3-d834-44bb-ae3a-83fec0fef08b)

## How to do it

1. Open the **Camera app** on your iPhone (or any photo in the Photos app).
2. Point the camera at **any text** – menu, whiteboard, street sign, recipe, business card.
3. When a **yellow frame** appears around the detected text, tap on it.
4. The text becomes **selectable** – just like on a webpage.
5. Choose **Copy**, **Translate**, **Look Up**, or **Search the Web**.

## Where Live Text works

- **Camera app**: Recognize and copy text in real time
- **Photos app**: Extract text from photos you've already taken
- **Safari & Mail**: Select text inside images on websites or in emails
- **Screenshots**: You can select text in screenshots too

## Why this is so useful

iOS uses **on-device OCR** (text recognition) since iOS 15 – completely local on your device. This means:

- ✅ **Works offline** – no internet connection needed
- ✅ **Privacy-friendly**: Your data never leaves your device
- ✅ **7+ languages** supported (EN, DE, FR, NL, ES, IT, PT and more)
- ✅ **No extra app** needed – built right into iOS

## Practical use cases

- 🍽️ **Menus** abroad: Copy text → paste into translator
- 📋 **Whiteboards** after meetings: Snap a photo → extract the text
- 🧾 **Receipts**: Quickly copy amounts into your notes
- 📇 **Business cards**: Transfer name + number directly to Contacts
- 📖 **Recipes** from cookbooks: Copy text instead of retyping
- 🏷️ **Product info**: Quickly capture item numbers or ingredients

## Good to know

- Requires **iPhone XS or newer** (A12 Bionic chip or better)
- Works best in **good lighting** with **clear print**
- Handwriting is partially recognized, but **printed text** gives the best results
- Since **iOS 16**, you can even **copy text from videos** (pause video → tap text)

## Pro tip: Translate directly in Camera

Select text → choose **Translate** → iOS translates it instantly. Perfect for menus, signs, or instructions abroad – no need to open Google Translate.