Gone are the days of transcribing notes and text from photos into documents. Google has released a new feature for its Google Lens that will allow users to copy text from a photo and paste it into a text editing app such as Google Docs.
Currently already available, users only need to have the latest version of the Google Chrome app as well as the latest Google Lens app which are both available on the Google Play Store. To copy text from a photo, simply start up the Google Lens app and take a photo of the text you want to be copied. After taking the photo, highlight the text, select copy, then paste into your preferred app.
This can work on online articles, printed media, or even handwritten notes. It’s pretty obvious, though, that to get an accurate transcription, your source or handwriting has to be neat and clear. It’s also worth noting that the text you copy will be case-sensitive, meaning that Google Lens will try its best to determine which letters use upper case and which use lower case.
Along with this feature, Google has updated its AI object recognition software to not just identify text but also to speak it. This pronunciation tool is useful for knowing the correct way of saying certain words.
The new feature also extends to different languages. So if you’re learning a new language, you can use Google Lens to define a certain word you may not know as well as hear its correct pronunciation.
Lastly, Google Lens gets the ability to look up unfamiliar concepts you may find. If, for example, you’re reading an article about gravitational waves and want to know more about the topic, simply take a snap with Google Lens, highlight it, and get immediate in-line Google Search Results all within the app.
