Recently, Microsoft introduced a new feature in Phone Link that allows users to select and copy text from within images synced from their Android phone. This update is currently available in Release Preview Insider builds and is expected to roll out to all users soon.
Phone Link, also known as Link to Windows on the phone side, enables users to sync calls, messages, notifications, and images, as well as cast their entire phone from an Android device to a Windows computer. While the functionality is more limited for iOS devices, it still allows for the synchronization of notifications, messages, and calls over Bluetooth.
Previously, users could extract text from phone photos using the Windows Snipping Tool, which received text extraction capabilities last year around the same time Phone Link enhanced image share notifications. However, the latest update eliminates the need for an additional step by enabling text extraction directly within the app.
During a quick test of the OCR feature in Phone Link 1.24051.91.0 on Insider Preview Build 22635.3646 (Beta Channel), it was found that the text extraction was decent but not flawless. In comparison to Samsung and Apple’s text extractors, Microsoft’s OCR made more errors when extracting text from a photo of a book page. For longer passages, it may be more effective to utilize cross-device copy and paste functionality by extracting the text on the phone and sending it to the PC.
The new text extraction feature in Microsoft Phone Link offers added convenience for users who frequently need to extract text from images on their Android devices. While the OCR functionality may not be as accurate as some competitors, it still provides a viable option for transferring text from photos to a Windows computer. As Microsoft continues to refine and improve Phone Link, we can expect further enhancements to streamline the process of accessing and utilizing text content across devices.
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