Google Photos Rolls Out Optical Character Recognition Search Function

Google is currently rolling out a feature that enables users to search for photos based on the text captured in them.

According to 9to5Google, the Google Photos Twitter account confirmed the new optical character recognition (OCR) feature after a user discovered it was now possible to use Lens in Google Photos to highlight text and then copy and paste it.

“Starting this month, we’re rolling out the ability to search your photos by the text in them. Once you find the photo you’re looking for, click the Lens button to easily copy and paste text. Take that, impossible wifi passwords,” wrote Google Photos.

The Lens OCR feature will be rolling out to users this month, allowing users to search for photos by the text in them. Once the photo with text has been found, clicking the Lens button allows users to copy sections of text and paste it in another document.

You spotted it! Starting this month, we’re rolling out the ability to search your photos by the text in them.

Once you find the photo you’re looking for, click the Lens button to easily copy and paste text. Take that, impossible wifi passwords ?

— Google Photos (@googlephotos) August 22, 2019

All you need to do is open the image you want to copy text from, click on the lens option and that’s it. It will give you the option if you want to copy the text. To find an image with a particular text, you need to search for the specific word in the Google Photos web and it will give you the images with the concerned text.

While many Android users on Twitter claim to have access to the new feature, it hasn’t been rolled out to everybody just yet.

iOS users of Google Photos are still unable to access the feature on their devices, but a number of people using the web version of Google Photos have successfully been able to try out the new OCR feature.