Have you ever wasted time manually typing out text from an uncopyable webpage or image into Notepad? Windows 11 includes a built-in feature that lets you extract text directly with a single keyboard shortcut—no paid software required.
Quick Summary
- Shortcut: Press Windows key + Shift + S to take a screenshot, then click [Text Actions] at the top.
- Extraction: Drag to select and copy specific text (Ctrl + C) or click [Copy all text].
- Privacy & Utilities: Automatically hide phone numbers and emails with [Quick Redact] and use [Copy as table] (processed locally on your PC).
- Requirements: Windows 11 Snipping Tool (update via Microsoft Store if the icon is missing).
Step-by-Step: Extracting Text with a Keyboard Shortcut
Extracting text from an image is simple. Press Windows key + Shift + S on your keyboard to dim the screen and select your capture area. Once captured, click the [Text Actions] icon in the toolbar at the top of the window.
Clicking the icon prompts the system to automatically recognize the text in the image. You can drag your mouse over specific text to select and copy it (Ctrl + C), or click the [Copy all text] button at the top to copy everything at once. This works not only for new screen captures but also for any existing image file opened in Snipping Tool.
Built-In Privacy Redaction and Table Copying Features
If you need to hide sensitive information before sharing or copying, use the [Quick Redact] feature. Clicking this button automatically detects phone numbers and email addresses in the image and blacks them out. To redact specific text manually, highlight the area with your mouse, right-click, and select [Redact Text].
It is also useful when working with tables or QR codes. For images containing tabular data, the [Copy as table] option lets you paste content into spreadsheets while preserving the table structure. Snipping Tool can also detect QR codes in images and open the corresponding web links directly. Best of all, all OCR processing occurs locally on your PC without sending data to external servers, ensuring data privacy.
What to Check If the Feature Is Missing on Your PC
This feature is available in the default Snipping Tool on Windows 11. The legacy Snip & Sketch app on Windows 10 does not support Text Actions, so check your operating system version.
| Feature | Windows 11 Snipping Tool | Windows 10 Snip & Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Capture Shortcut | Win + Shift + S | Win + Shift + S |
| Text Extraction (OCR) | Supported ([Text Actions]) | Not supported |
| Auto Privacy Redaction | Supported ([Quick Redact]) | Not supported |
| Copy as Table | Supported (Version 11.2409.22.0 or later) | Not supported |
If the [Text Actions] button does not appear after capturing your screen, it is likely an app version issue. Open the Microsoft Store and update Snipping Tool to the latest version to enable the feature.
Note that instant text copying directly from the overlay toolbar without opening the full canvas has been tested in Windows Insider channels, and rollout timing on standard retail builds may vary. Official accuracy rates for complex handwriting or specialized fonts are not publicly published.
Press Windows key + Shift + S now to check if the [Text Actions] button is active in your Snipping Tool.
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