How to extract text from photos on your cell phone directly from Windows

The resource Link to Cell Phone (formerly known as Phone Link) is a very useful tool offered on Windows 11 and Windows 10 systems. It provides the convenience of keeping messages, notifications, photos and many other data from your smartphone synchronized with your personal computer.

What is already extremely useful is about to become even more so as they announced that the feature will be expanded to include the ability to extract texts directly from images captured with an Android device.

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What is Link to Cellular

Although Link to Cell Phone is not exactly a popular name among most users, this feature has been introduced for some time in the mobile ecosystem. Microsoft. Originally known as the Your Phone app, it was launched in 2018 and created the initial bridge for this much-needed integration between Windows and Android devices, at no additional cost.

Link to Phone is optimized for Windows 11 but still maintains full compatibility and functionality in Windows 10. Regardless of the version, the idea is the same: enabling users to manipulate conversations, make or receive calls, check their notifications and view stored photos on Android and even use installed applications, all comfortably through the PC screen.

As for iPhone users, there is indeed a Phone Link alternative available. However, this variant is limited to basic sync functionality via Bluetooth. On the other hand, the Android version has greater versatility, using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and even mobile data to perform the desired synchronization.

Native OCR on Windows 11

The imminent Link to Cellular update promises to bring significant advances, especially in terms of the way photos are integrated with Android devices. One of the most anticipated new features is the recognition and copying of text inserted into imageswhich opens the door to a variety of practical, everyday uses.

Imagine, for example, the benefit of being able to capture a photo of a work description while visiting a museum and easily transfer that text to a computer document for later analysis and study. Or, take a photo of a page from a book and be able to copy sections of the page and paste it into a text editor.

The launch date for the new Link to Cellular function has not yet been announced. But according to information from the Verge, active members in the Dev and Beta channels of the Windows Insider program are already having the opportunity to try out the new functionality. This testing phase suggests that wider availability may be closer than previously thought.

The ongoing tests refer specifically to the version of Link to Cellular compatible with Windows 11. It has not yet been announced whether the text reading feature will also reach users who remain on Windows 10.

How to use Link to Mobile

If you are curious about using Link to Cellular, just visit the Microsoft Store and proceed with the download. It is important to note that for this currently available version, the ability to read text in images has not yet been implemented.

As an additional and equally exciting detail, other Windows 11 tools will also benefit from similar content recognition abilities. One example is the screen capture tool, which should soon be able to identify and interpret QR Codes.