FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Google Photos can identify text in images

Google Photos can identify text in images

Google Lens now lets users copy words found in photos and transform them into editable text, and also search images by text, using its optical character recognition (OCR).

Google Lens' OCR – previously already able to identify objects in photos – now allows users to search their photos based on text embedded in the image or even convert that text into editable digital text. — Google

With the feature, users no longer have to memorise tricky cafe WiFi passwords and can simply deploy OCR to make short work of copying and pasting the password into their phones, for example.

The feature is useable within the Google Photos backup service, which now also lets users search their collections for a specific photo based on text found in the image, such as those found in signboards, posters or business cards.

Previously, Google Photos was already able to identify objects like people, pets or food and leverage the embedded GPS data to make location queries.

Former Google staff Hunter Walk noticed the otherwise unannounced feature and tweeted a step-by-step on how to use it.

Google Photo’s official Twitter account confirmed the find, tweeting that the feature was introduced early August and is meant to help users search for photos based on text embedded in the image.

9to5Googlereports that Google Photos is able to search even when the words are relatively small in the image or when the photo is taken at an angle. The feature performs better with screenshots.

The feature is already live and works on Android, iOS and its web client versions.

 

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