Google Photos Now Lets You Search for Photos by the Text In Them

agosto 23, 2019

Google Photos Now Lets You Search for Photos by the Text In Them

Google is rolling out a powerful new feature to its Photos app: you can now search for pictures by the text found within them.

The optical recognition feature (OCR) was spotted and Tweeted by investor Hunter Walk, who shared that you can now click the Lens tool to select and copy text in photos to paste it elsewhere:

Wow, @googlephotos has OCR to turn screenshots into copy/paste text!

A. Open google photos and select screenshot
B. Pick “Lens” feature [image 1]
C. Highlight text [image 2]
D. Pick copy/paste [image 2,3]

Nicely done Google team! pic.twitter.com/Um49ika2yT

— 👨🏻‍💻☕️ (@hunterwalk) August 21, 2019

Can Duruk then responded to Walk with his discovery that Google Photos is actually applying OCR to all the photos in your library:

I also just discovered it does OCR on everything uploaded pic.twitter.com/IoPsdzz5sf

— Can Duruk (@can) August 21, 2019

Google replied to Walk and Duruk, confirming that it’s a new feature being rolled out to all users:

You spotted it! Starting this month, we’re rolling out the ability to search your photos by the text in them.

Once you find the photo you’re looking for, click the Lens button to easily copy and paste text. Take that, impossible wifi passwords 😏

— Google Photos (@googlephotos) August 22, 2019

“Starting this month, we’re rolling out the ability to search your photos by the text in them,” the Google Photos Twitter account says. “Once you find the photo you’re looking for, click the Lens button to easily copy and paste text. Take that, impossible wifi passwords”

The feature is being rolled out to users of both the iOS and Android app — if you don’t see it yet, just sit tight and it’ll land on your device shortly.

(via Google Photos via The Verge)