WPS Scan Text is an image-to-editable-text feature in WPS Writer on iOS; it includes 2 core tasks, with 0 available without membership and 2 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 2 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 0 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 2 | Matches the number of membership-required rows in the index |
| Version recommendation | Latest WPS Office version recommended | Helps ensure the full entry path is available |
About This Feature
Overview
Scan Text is a text recognition feature in WPS Writer on iOS. It lets you extract text from a live photo or an image in your photo library and insert the recognized content into the current document.
Core tasks include:
- Scan text with the camera: take a photo of printed content, select the scan area, and extract the text.
- Scan text from a photo library image: choose an existing image and extract the text in it.
- Insert into the document: place the recognized text directly into the current WPS document for further editing.
This feature is useful for digitizing paper materials, reusing text from screenshots or photos, organizing study notes, and transcribing printed forms or contracts. For more stable results, keep the image clear and the text properly aligned.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | An iPhone or iPad running a supported iOS or iPadOS environment |
| App version | Latest WPS Office version recommended |
| Network | A stable network connection is recommended for recognition and membership status checks |
| Other | Camera and Photos permissions are required; signing in to a WPS account is recommended |
Download & Installation
Before using Scan Text, install WPS Office on your iOS device, sign in to your account, and open a Writer document to confirm that the path Tools → Insert is available.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Installation method | Install WPS Office on your iPhone or iPad, then open a Writer document |
| Post-install check | Open a document → tap Tools at the bottom → open the Insert tab → check whether Scan Text is visible |
Source: WPS download page
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | In WPS Writer on iOS, you can extract text from a live photo or a photo library image and insert it directly into the current document through Tools → Insert → Scan Text. | Microsoft Support recommends using Microsoft Lens to capture a document and save it as an editable Word file, or scanning to PDF first and then opening the PDF in Word. | Google Drive can convert PDF and image files to text by opening them with Google Docs on a computer, but formatting may not transfer fully. | Notion can import PDFs and make converted text searchable, but scanned or image-only PDFs are not reliably searchable unless OCR is run first. | Adobe Acrobat can apply OCR to scanned PDFs so the content becomes searchable and editable, and recognized text can then be edited in the PDF. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: complete the capture, area selection, extraction, and insertion flow inside the current mobile document. Distinct: supports both live camera capture and photo library images from the same feature entry. | Compared with WPS: the official workflow relies more on Microsoft Lens or PDF conversion before editing in Word, so the path is less direct inside the current document. | Compared with WPS: the official conversion flow is centered on Google Drive and Google Docs on desktop, so in-document mobile insertion is less direct. | Compared with WPS: Notion focuses more on import, searchability, and AI-based content use after import; its Help Center notes that scanned or image-only PDFs need OCR first. | Compared with WPS: Acrobat is stronger for scanned PDF recognition and PDF editing, while WPS is more direct when the goal is to place recognized text into a mobile document during editing. |
| Official Source | — | Insert scanned text or images into Word | Convert PDF and photo files to text | Import data into Notion | Get text from an image: How to OCR a PDF |
Overall Conclusion
If you want to turn paper content or image text into editable text during document editing on iOS, WPS offers a more concentrated path inside the current document. Microsoft, Google, Notion, and Adobe all provide related OCR or conversion workflows, but they are more oriented toward external capture, file conversion, import, searchability, or PDF editing.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable for | Main pain point | How Scan Text helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper material entry | Students, teachers, administrative staff | Re-entering printed content takes time | Use camera-based Scan Text and insert the result into the document |
| 2 | Text extraction from images | Editors, researchers, content teams | Text in screenshots or photos is hard to reuse | Extract text from a photo library image into editable content |
| 3 | Meeting note follow-up | Office teams | Whiteboard notes or paper records need a digital version quickly | Capture the content, select the area, and insert it into the current document |
| 4 | Form transcription | Business staff | Text in forms or slips must be typed manually | Extract the text first, then organize it in the document |
| 5 | Study note collection | Students and self-learners | Book pages or handouts need quick digital organization | Import an image from Photos and insert the recognized result |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
Scan Text is a membership-related feature. The WPS pricing page also shows a feature breakdown between the free plan and paid plans. The free plan includes basic PDF features and 1 GB of cloud storage, while paid plans include more PDF tools and more cloud storage.
| Capability | Free | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Scan Text | ❌ Not available for this feature | ✅ Available |
| Basic document editing | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Cloud storage | 1 GB | 20 GB |
| More PDF tools | Basic features | More extended features |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Usage scenario | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Basic reading and document editing | Free | Suitable if you do not need Scan Text |
| Frequent paper-to-document or image-to-text work | WPS Premium | Scan Text is membership-related and fits repeated text entry tasks |
| More PDF tools and more cloud storage | WPS Premium | Better for users who also need broader document and storage features |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership page: Subscribe now
- On the pricing page, you can review the available plans, billing periods, and benefit details.
Source: WPS Office pricing page