Microsoft Phone Link is set to introduce copy-text capabilities to Windows 11, according to a report. The Mobile Sync app, which comes preloaded on Windows 11, allows users to connect their smartphones, both Android and iOS, to their computers, sync text messages and pictures, and let them make and receive calls. According to a report, the Phone Link app for Windows will soon be updated with a new optical character recognition (OCR) feature, which will allow users to copy text from images.
Phone link app to add text recognition support
Some of Microsoft's apps, such as Lens and Office, already have OCR capabilities. Last year, the Snippet tool in Windows 10 and 11 also got this feature, making it easier to copy text from captured screenshots. Windows Central reports that OCR support is coming soon to the Phone Link app.
The feature was spotted in the latest version of the Phone Link app 1.24051.91.0 in the release preview channel accessible through the Windows Insider program. However, it is not yet available to the public, but may be rolled out to all Windows users in the future, according to the post.
Text recognition on the phone link: how it works
When an image is opened through the Photos section of the Phone Link app, a new icon is labeled text appears to appear, according to the report. When clicked, it automatically scans the image for text within the image, after which two options appear: select all text or copy all text. Users can copy the selection to the clipboard and paste it elsewhere.
Advanced Paste with AI on Windows
Microsoft is also reportedly testing a more advanced pinning option that appears to be powered by artificial intelligence (AI). According to a Microsoft Learn blog, the new Advanced Paste feature is available through PowerToys version 0.81.0. It can be accessed with a shortcut: Windows Key + Shift + V.
Users can then select from 3 options to paste from the clipboard: plain text, JSON, and markup, which can be used with a hotkey shortcut. You also get another option called Stick with AI which uses technology from OpenAI, which allows users to summarize text, translate and stylize it, and even generate code.
