This article is for people with visual or cognitive impairments who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.
Use the Microsoft 365 app with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to take a picture of an item with text and extract a piece of text from the picture. You can then use the text somewhere else. You'll also learn how to extract text from an existing picture.
Notes:
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New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
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This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.
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To use the Microsoft 365 app to take a picture, you need to allow the app to access your camera. You can do this in the Microsoft 365 app settings.
Convert an image into text
You can use the Microsoft 365 app to take a picture of a whiteboard or any other object with text, extract the text, paste it, for example, to a note or a PowerPoint slide, and have VoiceOver read the text to you. Alternatively, you can use an existing image from Photos, for example.
You can also share the extracted text straight from the app, or save it to Files for later.
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In the Microsoft 365 app, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. The focus moves to the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. You hear: "Actions, tab."
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Double-tap the screen. The Actions tab opens showing available options.
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Swipe right until you hear "Image to text," and then double-tap the screen. The camera mode activates. The focus is on the image capture button.
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If needed, to change the language of the text to be extracted, swipe left until you hear "Language of text to extract," followed by the currently selected language, and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the language you want, and then double-tap the screen.
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Do one of the following:
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To take a picture with your device camera, point the camera toward the text you want to capture, and then double-tap the screen.
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To select a saved picture, swipe right until you hear "Choose photo from library," and then double-tap the screen. The Photos app opens. Navigate to the picture, and then double-tap the screen to select it.
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You hear: "Top-left corner." You can now crop the image if needed to only show the text in the image. Swipe right until you find the crop handle you want to use, then double-tap and hold the screen, and slide your finger to adjust the cropping area. You might need someone to help you with this step.
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When you're done, swipe right until you hear "Confirm," and then double-tap the screen. The Microsoft 365 app starts to process the image.
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When the text has been extracted, you hear an audio cue and the first line of the extracted text. To read all of the text, swipe right.
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Do one of the following:
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To copy the text, swipe right until you hear "Copy text," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Text copied." You can now paste and edit the text where you want to use it, for example, in an email message, a note, or a PowerPoint slide.
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To share the text straight from the app, for example in Microsoft Teams, swipe right until you hear "Share," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the name of the app where you want to share the text, and then double-tap the screen. You can now paste and edit the text, fill in the recipients, and send your message.
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If you want to save the extracted text for later, swipe right until you hear "Share," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear "Save to files," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe left until you find the save location you want, and then double-tap the screen to select it. Swipe left until you hear "Save," and then double-tap the screen.
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To exit the text view, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers. You hear: "Close, button." Double-tap the screen. You hear: "Alert, discard text?" Swipe right until you hear "Yes," and then double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the camera mode.
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To return to the Actions tab, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers. You hear: "Discard button." Double-tap the screen.
See also
Use a screen reader to convert images into tables in the Microsoft 365 app
Use a screen reader to work with PDFs in the Microsoft 365 app
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate the Microsoft 365 app
Use the Microsoft 365 app with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to take a picture of an item with text and extract a piece of text from the picture. You can then use the text somewhere else. You'll also learn how to extract text from an existing picture.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.
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To use the Microsoft 365 app to take a picture, you need to allow the app to access your camera. You can do this in the Microsoft 365 app settings.
Convert an image into text
You can use the Microsoft 365 app to take a picture of a whiteboard or any other object with text, extract the text, paste it, for example, to a note or a PowerPoint slide, and have TalkBack read the text to you. Alternatively, you can use an existing image from Photos, for example.
You can also share the extracted text straight from the app, or if you're signed in to your Microsoft account, you can upload the text to OneDrive for later use.
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In the Microsoft 365 app, slide one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Apps, button," and then double-tap the screen. The apps menu opens.
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Swipe left or right until you hear "Image to text," and then double-tap the screen. The camera mode activates. If you're prompted to allow the app to take pictures and record video, swipe right until you hear "Allow," and then double-tap the screen.
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If needed, to change the language of the text to be extracted, swipe left or right until you hear "Language selector button," followed by the currently selected language, and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the language you want, and then double-tap the screen.
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Do one of the following:
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To take a picture with your device camera, point the camera toward the text you want to capture, swipe right until you hear "Capture," and then double-tap the screen.
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To select a saved picture, swipe right until you hear "Import button," and then double-tap the screen. The app for your saved pictures opens. You might be prompted to allow the app to access your pictures. Navigate to the picture, and then double-tap the screen to select it.
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You hear: "Retake button." If needed, you can now crop the picture to only show the text. To crop the picture, you need to turn off TalkBack, so you might need someone to help you with this step. To adjust the picture borders, pull the crop handles. When you're done, swipe right until you hear "Continue button, confirm," and then double-tap the screen. The Microsoft 365 app starts to process the image.
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When the text has been extracted, TalkBack reads the text. To have TalkBack repeat the text, swipe left.
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Do one of the following:
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To copy the text, swipe right until you hear "Copy text," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Text copied." You can now paste and edit the text where you want to use it, for example, an email message, a note, or a PowerPoint slide.
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To share the text straight from the app, for example in Microsoft Teams, swipe right until you hear "Share," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the name of the app where you want to share the text, and then double-tap the screen. You can now paste and edit the text, fill in the recipients, and send your message.
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To upload the text to OneDrive, swipe right until you hear "Share," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear "OneDrive," and then double-tap the screen. Navigate to the folder where you want to upload the text, and then double-tap the screen. Swipe left until you hear "Upload," and then double-tap the screen.
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To exit the text view, swipe down-then-left. You hear: "Dialog, end this session?" Swipe right until you hear "Yes," and then double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the camera mode.
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To exit the camera mode, swipe down-then-left.
See also
Use a screen reader to convert images into tables in the Microsoft 365 app
Use a screen reader to work with PDFs in the Microsoft 365 app
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate the Microsoft 365 app
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
