How to Enable PowerToys Text Extractor in Windows 11

Microsoft PowerToys is a free collection of tools for Windows. It helps you change how your computer works to make tasks easier. One of these tools is called Text Extractor.

Why use this? You can grab text from anywhere on your screen. This works even if the text is inside a photo or a video. It saves you from having to type out long sentences by hand.

What happens when done? You will be able to copy text from your screen just by dragging your mouse over it. The text is saved to your clipboard so you can paste it anywhere.

How to Turn Text Extractor On or Off

First, install the PowerToys on Windows.

Once you have the app open, click Text Extractor in the menu on the left side of the window.

On the right side of the screen, find the Enable Text Extractor box. Click the switch to turn it On. To turn it off later, just click the switch back to Off.

Text Extractor needs language packs to read text correctly. You can check which languages your computer supports by using PowerShell. Note: This step requires admin privileges.

::AvailableRecognizerLanguages

To use the tool, press Windows Key + SHIFT + T on your keyboard. Your screen will dim slightly. Click and hold your mouse button to draw a box around the text you want to copy. Once you let go, the text is copied. Press Esc if you want to cancel.

The app uses your Windows system language > keyboard settings to understand the text. You can add more language packs if needed.

That is all there is to it! For more details, you can visit Microsoft PowerToys.

Summary

The Text Extractor tool in PowerToys is a quick way to copy text from images or videos on your screen. By following these simple steps, you can turn the feature on or off whenever you need it. This tool is perfect for saving time when you need to copy words from memes, social media posts, or online video tutorials.

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