How to extract text from images online for free (No Upload)
Need to grab text from a photo, screenshot, or receipt? Learn how to extract text from images safely in your browser without uploading files to a server.
4 min read
Image to Text
Image to Text
Read the text out of photos and scanned images to copy or save as a .txt file — recognition runs on your PC, nothing is uploaded.
Copy or .txt100% on your devicePC only
Privacy
Your documents do not leave your device.
PDFTasker runs in your browser. No uploads. No server detour. No tricks.
Recognition guide
- 1. Add one or more images.
- 2. Run the text recognition (OCR) in your browser.
- 3. Review the text, then copy it or download a .txt file.
PC only
Open this on a desktop
Image recognition runs on your computer and needs a desktop browser. Save the link and come back from a PC — the rest of this page works on any device.
Pull text out of an image
Extract Text from an Image Locally
Free
Sometimes the text you need is locked inside a picture — a screenshot, a photographed page, a scanned receipt. PDFTasker reads the characters out of the image right in your browser, on your PC, and hands them back to copy or save as a .txt file. Nothing is uploaded. Recognition runs on your own machine, so the photos worth reading — IDs, statements, notes — never leave your device. Accuracy depends on the scan: sharp, straight, well-lit images read best.
Privacy and trust
Recognition that stays on your machine
Reading text from an image does not require a server. PDFTasker runs the recognition engine locally in your browser and returns plain text you can review and correct before you use it. Because the work is on-device, it suits the images you would not want to send to a stranger — and when the result looks off, it is usually the source scan, not the upload, that needs another try.
How to use it
How to extract text from an image
- 01Add one or more images (PNG, JPG, or WebP) on a desktop browser.
- 02Pick the recognition language for the text in your images.
- 03Run recognition and let it read each image on your device.
- 04Review and correct the text, then copy it or download a .txt file.
FAQ
Image to text FAQ
How does reading text from an image work?
The tool runs a recognition engine in your browser that looks at each image and works out which characters it sees, then returns them as plain text. Everything happens on your computer after the page loads, so your images are never uploaded. You can review the text, fix anything that came out wrong, and then copy it or save it as a .txt file.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Each image is read in your browser and the text never leaves your device. That matters because the pictures worth reading — an ID, a receipt, a statement, a page of notes — are often the private ones. Recognition runs locally, and when you close the tab nothing about the image is left behind on a server.
Why is the recognized text wrong in places?
Recognition quality depends almost entirely on the source image. A photo taken at an angle, a low-contrast scan, small or stylized type, and busy backgrounds all make characters harder to read. Shoot straight on with good lighting, or rescan at a higher resolution, and the result improves. Always review the text before you rely on it, since no recognition is perfect.
Does it work with Korean?
Yes — you can pick Korean as the recognition language. Be aware that Korean recognition is more sensitive to scan quality than English, so sharp, straight, high-contrast images matter more. For a clean digital screenshot it usually does well; for a crumpled or angled photo the result may need correction. Review the text afterward and fix anything the engine misread.
Why does this only run on a PC?
Reading text from images uses a recognition engine that is heavy on memory and processing, which a desktop handles comfortably and many phones do not. To avoid a slow or failed run on a phone, the tool stays desktop-only and simply asks you to come back from a computer. The page itself still loads and reads on mobile — only the recognition step waits for a PC.
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