As a seasoned Apple user who's tested numerous betas, I can confirm iOS 15's public beta brings exciting iPhone features this fall, with Live Text standing out. This powerful tool lets you effortlessly extract text, emails, phone numbers, and more from images—handling both handwritten and typed text in English, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.
Note: Since iOS 15 is in beta, Apple may refine Live Text before launch.
Live Text integrates seamlessly across iOS. Here's how to use it effectively:
The most versatile method: In apps like Messages, Mail, or Notes, tap any text field to reveal the camera icon alongside copy/paste options.
Tap the camera to open a viewfinder, point at text, and watch iOS highlight it. Hit 'Insert' to add it directly—proofread first, as accuracy shines but isn't flawless with handwriting.
On iPhone XS or later, open Camera and point at text. Tap the Live Text button in the viewfinder corner (it appears automatically). Copy, paste, or interact with phone numbers, emails, and links directly.
In the Photos app, long-press text in any image. Blue highlights appear, letting you select, copy, or act on it just like regular text.
On webpages, long-press an image with text and tap 'Look Up Text' (or similar). Highlight and interact with the detected text seamlessly.
