Have you ever tried to copy text from an error message, a YouTube video, or a protected PDF, only to realize you can't select it? You are not alone. Here is how you can easily extract text from screenshots on both Windows and Mac.
Method 1: The Easiest Way (Web-Based)
Use Screenshot Clean.
- Take a screenshot (Win+Shift+S on Windows, Cmd+Shift+4 on Mac).
- Go to Screenshot Clean.
- Paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V) directly onto the page.
- Click "Extract & Clean Text". Result: Instant text ready to copy or edit.
Method 2: Windows PowerToys (Text Extractor)
Windows users can install Microsoft PowerToys.
- Install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store.
- Enable "Text Extractor".
- Press Win + Shift + T to activate the overlay.
- Select the text region. The text is copied to your clipboard.
Method 3: Mac Live Text
If you are using macOS Monterey or later, OCR is built-in.
- Open the image in Preview or look at it in Photos.
- Hover your mouse over the text. The cursor changes to a text selector.
- Highlight and copy.
Which is better?
Built-in tools are great for quick one-liners. However, if you need to clean up the text (remove line breaks, fix formatting) or process a file you don't want to open in a specific app, a dedicated tool like Screenshot Clean is superior.