Text Extractor OCR – Chrome extension to extract text from any screen capture

Extract text from images, screenshots, PDFs, and videos instantly. 100% offline, 100% private.

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The Problem

Text trapped in images, PDFs, videos, or scanned documents cannot be copied, searched, or edited.

You need to manually retype text from screenshots, or upload sensitive documents to external OCR services.

Existing solutions require uploading your data to cloud servers, compromising privacy and requiring an internet connection.

Text Extractor OCR solves this by processing everything locally on your device. No uploads, no accounts, no tracking.

How It Works

Text Extractor OCR runs directly in your browser using Tesseract.js, a WebAssembly-powered OCR engine. All processing happens on your device.

1

Open the Panel

Click the extension icon or press Ctrl+Shift+O (Cmd+Shift+O on Mac) to open the side panel.

2

Capture Text

Click "Capture text" and drag to select the area of your screen containing text.

3

Get Results

The extension extracts the text and automatically copies it to your clipboard. View your history in the side panel.

The extension captures a screenshot of the visible viewport when you select an area. The screenshot is processed locally using Tesseract.js. No data leaves your device.

Features

Offline OCR Processing

All text recognition runs locally using Tesseract.js WebAssembly. No internet required after installation.

10 Language Support

Recognizes English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified), Arabic, Russian, and Japanese.

Screen Selection

Click and drag to select any visible area of your screen for text extraction.

Automatic Clipboard Copy

Extracted text is automatically copied to your clipboard for immediate use.

History Management

View all extracted text with timestamps, page titles, and URLs in the side panel.

Keyboard Shortcut

Quick access with Ctrl+Shift+O (Cmd+Shift+O on Mac) to toggle the side panel.

Context Menu

Right-click anywhere on a page to start capturing text.

Image Preprocessing

Automatic image enhancement with adjustable brightness, contrast, grayscale, and sharpening options.

Text Cleaning Options

Remove special characters and noise with configurable cleaning modes for cleaner output.

Configurable Recognition

Choose between normal text recognition or single block mode depending on your content.

Use Cases

  • Extract text from screenshots of error messages, documentation, or code snippets
  • Copy text from images embedded in PDFs or web pages
  • Capture text from videos, presentations, or webinars
  • Extract data from scanned documents without uploading to external services

Privacy & Security

Your Data Stays On Your Device

  • All OCR processing happens locally using WebAssembly
  • No data is sent to external servers
  • No user information is collected
  • No browsing activity is tracked
  • Screenshots are only captured when you explicitly click "Capture text"
  • Extracted text history is stored locally in your browser

Required Permissions

  • Storage: To save your extraction history and preferences locally
  • Clipboard Write: To automatically copy extracted text to your clipboard
  • Context Menus: To add "Capture text" to the right-click menu
  • Active Tab: To capture screenshots of the visible viewport when you click the capture button
Note: The extension can only capture the visible content of the active tab, and only when you explicitly click the "Capture text" button. It cannot access content outside the visible viewport or capture screenshots automatically.

Installation

Install Text Extractor OCR from the Chrome Web Store:

  1. Click the "Add to Chrome" button
  2. Confirm the installation in the popup
  3. The extension icon will appear in your browser toolbar
  4. Click the icon or press Ctrl+Shift+O to open the side panel
  5. Click "Capture text" and start extracting text
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Frequently Asked Questions

Does this extension work offline?

Yes. After installation, all OCR processing runs locally using Tesseract.js WebAssembly. No internet connection is required.

What area of the screen can be captured?

The extension can only capture the visible viewport of the active browser tab. It cannot capture content that is scrolled out of view or content outside the browser window.

How accurate is the text recognition?

OCR accuracy depends on image quality, text size, font clarity, and contrast. The extension includes preprocessing options (brightness, contrast, grayscale, sharpening) to improve recognition. Clear, high-contrast text typically yields the best results.

Can I use multiple languages at once?

Yes. The extension detects your browser language and automatically selects appropriate OCR languages. You can configure multiple languages in the advanced options page.

Where is my extraction history stored?

All extracted text is stored locally in your browser using Chrome's storage API. History is limited to the 100 most recent extractions and never leaves your device.

Start Extracting Text Today

Install Text Extractor OCR and extract text from any screen capture instantly.

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