WhatsApp, one of the most popular instant messaging apps in India and other global markets, has released a new feature for iOS. Now the company has released a new update for its iOS app. WhatsApp users on iOS can now copy text from images thanks to the new update. It was available for iOS users as a standalone feature, but only in the Photos app. With the release of the new update by WhatsApp, the feature could be used directly from the messaging app without having to switch to the Photos app.
Unlike a beta update that tests many features with a select number of users, the new WhatsApp feature is broadly available to all users on iOS. WABetaInfo, which spotted the new update, also revealed some more details about the feature. Let’s take a look at the new WhatsApp update and the features introduced on iOS.
WhatsApp for iOS gains optical character recognition (OCR) support.
WhatsApp has released a new stable update for all iOS users. The update can be downloaded and installed on eligible iPhones from the Apple App Store. The new WhatsApp feature for iOS offers the possibility to extract text directly from an image.
Although the feature was available for iOS users in Photos app, previously users couldn’t use OCR on WhatsApp because the app didn’t support this feature. Once users update the app, they can select and copy text directly from an image and paste it elsewhere.
WABetaInfo stated that the feature was previously tested with select iOS beta users in the 23.1.0.73 update. Now the company has released a new update with version number 23.5.77 for all iOS users.
The change log only shows the ability to record a voice memo and share it via status, which is available to everyone. However, WABetaInfo claimed that the OCR feature will also be made available to all iOS users via the new update.
Also Read: WhatsApp for iOS Gets a New Feature to Post Voice Notes as Status Updates
To try the feature, you must first update the app to version 23.5.77. Next, open an image that contains text and you should finally see a new button that lets you copy text from the image.
WhatsApp took quite a long time to take advantage of the iOS 16 API that offers OCR support. However, better late than never, the feature is now available for all iOS users. The feature is also available on select Android phones, including the latest Samsung devices running One UI 5.0. It would be interesting to see if the feature rolls out to all Android users soon. We will share more details on this as and when available. Do you find this feature useful? Let us know in the comments below.
