Enable the Hidden OCR Feature in Windows 11 Photos App for Enhanced Image Text Recognition

For some time, Windows applications like Snipping Tool and Phone Link have included Optical Character Recognition (OCR) features that enable users to extract text from images. Soon, the Photos app will join the ranks of these applications by incorporating similar OCR functionalities. Although the feature is disabled by default in the latest Photos app version, we managed to enable it with a few adjustments.

While not exactly concealed, the OCR feature is not universally accessible, and many users have yet to experience it. In our tests, Windows Latest successfully activated the OCR feature in the Photos app by executing the steps outlined below:

• Launch the Registry Editor (regedit) on your PC.
• In the menu, select File > Load Hive.
• Follow this path to locate:

  %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Photos_8wekyb3d8bbwe\Settings\settings.dat.

• Choose the settings.dat file.
• When prompted, input Photos as the Key Name and confirm.

Following this, create a new. reg file with the following content. You can easily copy and paste the text below into a Notepad document, then save it with a. reg file extension:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Photos\LocalState] "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 add it to the registry.

In regedit, return to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, select the Photos key, and then choose File > Unload Hive.

This process should activate the feature for you; however, if you encounter any problems while loading the hive, ensure that the Photos app (Photos.exe) is closed and that you’ve selected HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE before accessing the File menu.

Exploring OCR in the Windows 11 Photos App

We took a snapshot of the Edge homepage and opened that image in the Photos app. We noticed a new Scan text icon positioned centrally on the bottom toolbar, sitting alongside the Bing visual search icon.

Upon clicking the icon, the app successfully detected and highlighted the text present in the image. We found that we could easily drag our mouse to select and copy the text. We were impressed by the feature’s enhanced capabilities, which even recognized text from stylized icons like Myntra (a shopping platform) along with various other icons.

In contrast to the Snipping Tool’s somewhat ambiguous “Text Actions”label, the Photos app appropriately names the OCR function as Scan Text, providing clarity for users.

We anticipate that Microsoft will soon update the Text Actions label to Scan Text, aligning it with other applications like Phone Link, which already offers a Scan Text feature.

Is OCR in the Photos App Necessary?

This update is beneficial since it previously required users to open an image within the Snipping Tool to scan text. Phone Link offered OCR only for images captured from phones, making the Snipping Tool the only option for extracting text from images.

Now, with the OCR functionality available directly in the Photos app, users can easily extract text from images without needing to utilize the Snipping Tool for this purpose. Nevertheless, the Snipping Tool will continue to serve as the primary choice for post-screenshot editing and OCR tasks.

Previously, Microsoft made minor updates to the Photos app, such as introducing a zoom slider and enhancing its launch speed. However, these improvements have resulted in the Photos app running in the background, a feature that some users find less favorable.

Furthermore, Photos now integrates with Microsoft Designer, allowing for more creative, Canva-like options, and opens within the app window rather than through the Edge browser.

Source & Images