Text Grab is a Windows OCR application that lets you extract text from images, videos, PDFs, and other sources where text cannot be selected directly.
The tool solves the problem of accessing text trapped in visual media by running optical character recognition entirely on your device. It offers multiple capture modes including full-screen grab and file opening, with post-processing cleanup capabilities and spreadsheet-style editing. All processing happens locally without requiring internet connectivity or cloud services, keeping data private and avoiding per-use costs. You can launch it from the taskbar, trigger specific modes from the command line, or enable a background process to activate global hotkeys from anywhere in Windows.
Text Grab suits Windows users who frequently need to extract text from screenshots, embedded images, or inaccessible sources as part of their daily workflow. It works on Windows 10 and later, with enhanced accuracy available on Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs through on-device neural processing. The tool is available through the Microsoft Store, GitHub releases, and community package managers including scoop and choco, making installation straightforward across different preferences.
Development activity shows consistent engagement with the codebase through regular updates and releases. The project maintains active support across multiple installation channels and build configurations, supporting both Visual Studio 2022 and 2026 with clear documentation for local development. The tool's integration as the basis for PowerToys Text Extractor indicates ongoing collaboration with the broader Windows ecosystem.
