Photo to text, without typing every line again
A handwritten page can be useful long after the notebook is closed. OCR Flash turns a photo into editable text so you can work with it in a document or notes app. Take a photo above or choose a file. On a desktop, the large camera area opens the file picker too. Recognition starts after file selection, and the text appears as it is processed. Yellow marks corrected words; yellow italics indicate an uncertain reading. Compare the result with your original. Copy and .txt download give you plain text that you can paste into your own writing tools.
Convert handwritten notes to text for everyday work
Use the tool for lecture notes, personal reminders or handwritten meeting notes that you want to edit and organize. You can select several images and PDFs together, or collect camera photos. In collection mode, pages are sent only when you press Start recognition. A batch can contain up to 50 pages, including every page in a PDF. Results stay in their original page order. Copy one completed page or all completed pages together. On supported devices, Share text opens the device’s native sharing options. Save anything you need before clearing the results.
Digitize schoolwork and exercise books thoughtfully
An editable version of a student’s writing can help when preparing classroom material or discussing a passage. OCR Flash may correct spelling and punctuation, so check whether the result fits your purpose. Keep the original if you need to document the student’s exact spelling. The tool does not award grades or replace a teacher’s judgment. Cover names, class details and other identifying information before taking a photo. Only process pages you are entitled to use, and avoid sensitive or confidential documents. Check names, numbers and calculations against the original.
Get a clearer result from a better photo
Place the page flat, use even lighting and hold the camera steady. Check that the writing is in focus and the edges have not been cut off. Faint ink, shadows and overlapping lines can make recognition less reliable. A sharper photo may help more than repeatedly uploading the same image. Prepared images are sent for AI recognition; OCR Flash does not store images or recognized text in its database. Results remain in your browser tab until cleared. Review the text before using it in a document or sharing it with someone else.
Frequently asked questions
Is OCR Flash free without an account?
Yes. Generally, up to 100 admitted pages are available per UTC day per browser identifier. Additional security and shared-capacity limits apply, so recognition is not promised to be unlimited.
Which files can I convert to text?
JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, HEIC and unprotected PDFs, up to 25 MiB per file and 50 pages per batch. Only the first GIF or HEIC image is processed. PDF and HEIC conversion happens locally in your browser.
Will the text match my handwriting perfectly?
AI can misread words and correct spelling. Yellow highlights show corrections; yellow italics show uncertain readings. Check the result, especially names, numbers and calculations. The original page layout may change.
What happens to my photos and recognized text?
Prepared images pass through Vercel and OpenRouter to Google Gemini for recognition. OCR Flash does not save images or text in its database. Results stay in the browser tab until cleared; the privacy notice explains the providers and technical abuse protection.