In recent updates, Microsoft has enhanced its suite of Windows applications with a feature that many users have long awaited. The Photos app is set to join the ranks of other Windows tools like Snipping Tool and Phone Link by incorporating Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities, allowing users to extract text from images seamlessly. Although this feature is turned off by default in the latest version of the Photos app, it can be activated with a few adjustments.
Discovered by Microsoft researcher Albacore, this hidden functionality requires some registry modifications to unlock. While not entirely concealed, it remains largely inaccessible to the average user. For those eager to try it out, Windows Latest has outlined a straightforward process to enable the OCR feature:
- Open regedit (Registry Editor) on your PC.
- In the menu, click File > Load Hive.
- Navigate to this location:
%localappdata%PackagesMicrosoft.Windows.Photos_8wekyb3d8bbweSettingssettings.dat. - Select the settings.dat file.
- When prompted, type Photos as the Key Name and confirm.
Next, users should create a new .reg file with the following content. This can be done by copying the text below into a Notepad file and saving it with a .reg extension:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEYLOCALMACHINEPhotosLocalState] "ExperimentationOverrideEnabled"=hex(5f5e10b):01,41,3f,99,74,67,16,db,01 "ExperimentationOverride_ViewerOcr-IsEnabled"=hex(5f5e10b):01,9d,e2,9a,ee,81,3b,db,01
After saving the file, double-click it to import it into the registry. Finally, return to regedit, select the Photos key, and choose File > Unload Hive to complete the process.
Hands on with OCR in Windows 11 Photos app
Upon activating the feature, we tested it by capturing an image of Edge’s home page and opening it in the Photos app. A new Scan text icon appeared prominently in the bottom bar, adjacent to the Visual search icon featuring Bing.
Upon clicking the Scan text icon, the app efficiently identified and highlighted the text within the image. Users can then easily select and copy the text with a simple drag of the mouse. The OCR feature demonstrated impressive accuracy, even recognizing text from stylized icons, such as those from Myntra, a popular shopping platform.
Unlike the Snipping Tool, which employs the somewhat ambiguous term “Text Actions,” the Photos app opts for the more intuitive label of Scan Text. This clarity is likely to prompt Microsoft to consider renaming the Snipping Tool’s feature to align with the Photos app’s terminology, especially since Phone Link also features a Scan Text option.
Does the Photos app need OCR?
The introduction of OCR in the Photos app addresses a significant gap in functionality. Previously, users had to rely on the Snipping Tool to scan text, while Phone Link was limited to extracting text from phone images. Now, with the ability to scan text directly from images viewed in the Photos app, the process has become much more streamlined. However, the Snipping Tool will continue to serve as the primary option for post-screenshot editing and OCR tasks.
In addition to the OCR feature, Microsoft has made several enhancements to the Photos app, including a Zoom slider and improved launch times. However, these updates have not come without trade-offs, such as the app running in the background, a feature that has drawn some criticism. The Photos app has also integrated Microsoft Designer for more creative effects, now functioning within the same window rather than redirecting users to the Edge browser.
