How to use iPhone’s built-in text scanner

Use to scan text and documents

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Appleadds a lot of new features to the iPhone each year. Some of these features, such as iOS 15’s SharePlay and Shared with You, are heavily promoted by Apple. Others, such as the ability to scan text from the iPhone’s built-in camera, are not.

That’s correct, iPhone users can now directly copy and insert text using the camera in select apps iniOS 15. Doing so requires following a few steps, including those below.

What is Apple’s Scan Text feature?

Thanks to the Scan Text feature in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, you can turn your iPhone and iPad into a document scanner by importing text from any document seen through your device’s camera. The feature works with native apps that allow you to write text, such as Messages, Notes, and Reminders.

Once your camera finds the text, it instantly scans it and places it in the text-entry area.

Using Scan Text on iPhones and iPad

To begin using Scan Text, you’ll want toopen up an appthat includes a text-entry area. In the example below, the Messages app is used. Next, in thetext-entry area, you’ll want totap and holdfor a few seconds before releasing your finger. This should bring up thescanner iconthat includes the words “Scan Text.”

Next, tap “Scan Text,” which activates scanning mode. From here, point your device’s camera at the text you wish to scan and collect. Tap “. Tap"Scan Text” — or thescanner icon— and your camera will now be in scanning mode. Now, point your camera at the text you want to scan, and it will appear in the text entry field—tap"Insert" when you’re ready to import it.

An alternative approach

If you plan to use the Notes app with the built-in scanner, there’s a slightly more straightforward way. To get started, open theNotes appon your iPhone or iPad. Next, tap on thecamera icon within a note, then chooseScan Text. Next, position the iPhone, so the text appears within the camera frame. Once a yellow frame appears, tap theScan Text icon. Next, drag and use grab points to select the text, then tapInsert.

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To scan a document from the Notes app, bring up a note, and tap thecamera icon. ChooseScan Documents. Next, position the device, so the document page appears on the screen. Your iPhone will automatically capture the page. You can also manually capture a document bytapping the shutter buttonor pressing avolume button. Tap the flash indicator to turn the flash on or off. Tap theflash indicatorto turn the flash on or off.

Scan additional pages as necessary. ChooseSavewhen finished.

Once you’ve saved the document via the Scan Text feature, you can make edits and other changes. The saved document includes icons for adding more pages, crapping the image, applying a filter, rotating the image, marking up the document, and deleting the scan.

Are you looking for a physical paper scanner? Here are thebest ones on the market. We also have a lengthy list ofscanner reviews.

Bryan M. Wolfe is a staff writer at TechRadar, iMore, and wherever Future can use him. Though his passion is Apple-based products, he doesn’t have a problem using Windows and Android. Bryan’s a single father of a 15-year-old daughter and a puppy, Isabelle. Thanks for reading!

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