iOS 14 Will Feature New OCR Capabilities, Converting Apple Pencil’s Handwritten Text Into Typed

Apple appears to be planning to debut a new PencilKit feature upon the release of iOS 14. The new feature in question will let users utilize the Apple Pencil to write handwritten messages and text and convert it into typed text via Optical Character Recognition (OCR).

This news was discovered by MacRumors, in which their report states that users will soon be able to crawl written messages and text with the Apple Pencil, then convert it to a more legible typed font style. Based on the report, it appears as though this feature will be recognized in any text field available within iOS.

This means users will be able to handwrite notes and messages in Messages, Reminders, Calendar, Notes, Mail, and many more apps. A new floating interface will appear once tapped by the Apple Pencil, allowing users to begin writing by hand within each app.



MacRumors also states that third-party apps will also be able to utilize the PencilKit tool for handwriting functionality, but the extent of support remains unclear. In addition, a “Magic Fill” feature is supposedly in the works as well. Users will be able to draw shapes with the Apple Pencil, which will then be filled in by iOS.

Apple is expected to release iOS 14 this summer. It’s not clear whether or not the PencilKit tool will be available for launch or at a later date.