Live text on Mac, iPad and iPhone.
With the release of iOS 15, iPadOS 15.1, and macOS Monterey, there’s a new feature to make images more useful. This feature is called “Live Text” and allows you to interact with the text on your photos.
Here’s how to use the Live Text feature.
What Is Live Text?
Whether you have a photo saved in the Photos app, an open mobile device camera, or a photo in an app like Notes or Reminders, you can interact with text. This includes the photos you take with the Camera app and the screenshots you take.
With Live Text, you can highlight text in an image and then copy and paste it, translate it, or find it. Even better, if the text is a phone number, you can call it, if it’s a date, you can create a calendar event, if it’s an address, you can see it in Maps, and more.
Let’s take a look at a few ways to use this useful feature on your devices and get the most out of it.
Live Text Requirements
Make sure you have one of the following in order to use Live Text.
iPhone XS, iPhone XR or later with iOS 15 or later iPad Pro 12.9 inches. 3rd generation, iPad Pro 11-inch, iPad Air 3rd generation, iPad 8th generation, iPad Mini 5th generation or later with iPadOS 15.1 or later macOS Monterey in supported region < /str>
If you have one or two devices that suit you, enable Live Text.
On iPhone and iPad, open Settings, select General, and select Language & Region. Turn on the toggle for live text.
On a Mac, open System Preferences and select Language & Region. Check the box for Live Text.
Copy and Paste Live Text
Whether it’s a name, a phrase, or a paragraph, you can copy text from an image. Then paste it where you need it.
On iPhone and iPad, click the Live Text button in the bottom right corner to select all text in the image. Or press and hold a word and move the dots to highlight the text.
Click Copy in the context menu. Then open the app you want to copy the text to, press and hold, and then select Paste.
On a Mac, use your mouse or trackpad to drag the text you want to highlight. Right-click and select Copy or use Command + C. This places the text on the clipboard.
Then navigate to the application or location where you want to paste it, right-click and select Paste or use Command + V.
Translate Live Text
If you have a photo with text in another language, you can easily translate it.
On iPhone and iPad, use the Live Text button or select a word or phrase. Click the arrow to move right in the context menu and select Translate. The translation tool detects the language and provides the translation.
On a Mac, double-click to select a word, or drag across text to select a phrase. Right-click and select Translate.
You will see the translation with options to select a different dialect, or use the Copy Translation button to place the translated text on the clipboard.
Look Up Live Text
Perhaps the text in your image is unfamiliar to you and you need a definition or more information. Using the Look Up tool, you can get what you need.
On iPhone and iPad, use the Live Text button or select a word or phrase. Select Search from the context menu.
On a Mac, double-click to select a word, or drag across text to select a phrase. Right-click and select “Search up”.
Depending on the text, you’ll see options such as Dictionary, Thesaurus, Siri Knowledge, Maps, Suggested Websites, News, and more.
Create a Calendar Event or Reminder
A very handy feature of Live Text is the ability to create a calendar event or reminder. You might have a business card from your doctor’s office or a photo from an event poster. You can add it directly to the Calendar or Reminders app using Live Text.
On iPhone and iPad, use the Live Text button, or press and hold a date or time. Select “Create an event” or “Create a reminder”.
On a Mac, you don’t have to select text like you would when copying or translating. You will see a dotted line around the date (or time, if applicable) when you hover over it. Use the arrow in the dotted box to select “Create Event” or “Create Reminder”.
Email, Call, Text, or Add to Contacts
If you have a business card or even contact information written down on a piece of paper, you can also interact with that text by taking a photo of it. Then compose an email, call a number, send a text message, or add the person to your contact list.
On iPhone and iPad, press the Live Text button, press and hold a name, number, or email address, and choose an action from the pop-up menu.
On a Mac, this action is similar to the previous one, where you don’t have to select text. The name or number of the photo will be displayed inside a dotted box when hovering over it. Use the arrow to see options depending on the text.
To get a phone number, you can make a call, send a text message, or make a FaceTime call. For an email address, you can write an email or make a FaceTime call. Along with these options, you will also see one to add details to your contacts.
Visit a Website
If your image has a web link, you can go directly to the website on your device using Live Text.
On iPhone and iPad, press the Live Text button, press and hold the link. Select Open Link.
On a Mac, the link will appear inside the already familiar dotted box. Use the arrow inside the box to select “Open Link”, or simply select an address and the link should open directly in your default web browser.
Track a Shipment
If you take a photo of the label for the package you are shipping, you can track it with Live Text.
On iPhone and iPad, use the Live Text button or press and hold the tracking number. Then select Track Delivery.
On a Mac, click the arrow in the dotted frame with the tracking number and select Track Shipping.
In the pop-up window, you will see information about the carrier to track your package.
View an Address in Maps
Another awesome feature of Live Text is addresses. With a little effort, you can open an address on an image right in the Apple Maps app. From there, get detailed information about the location or directions.
On iPhone and iPad, tap the Live Text button, then tap an address to open it in the Maps app. Or press and hold an address to open a smaller version of Maps.
On a Mac, you’ll see the address inside a dotted box with an arrow. Use the arrow to select “Show address” and it will open right in a tiny version of the Maps app.
You can then select Directions, Open in Maps, or Add to Contacts if you like. Take advantage of this amazing feature and use Live Text on your Apple device.
Live text on Mac, iPad and iPhone
Live text on Mac, iPad and iPhone