# How to search text inside screenshots and photos

> With KeyPaste Pro, the same search box can match text inside screenshots and ordinary photos, using on-device recognition.

A screenshot of a tracking number or a photo of a sign is still an image in your library. Pro can index that image on the device so the ordinary search box can find it later.

This is separate from copying a few words out of one image. Search keeps a local index so you can find the item again. Word selection recognizes text only for the item you opened.

## What Pro search can match

In the iPhone, iPad, or Mac app, search your Library or Inbox as usual. For single-image items, Pro may also match:

- Text recognized in the image, such as a code, address, or caption.
- Broad concepts supplied by the system, such as a search for a cat or a beach on an ordinary photo.

KeyPaste does not include its own image model and does not ask you to download one. Recognition and concept matching are best effort. They depend on the device, system version, language, image quality, and whether Apple's system index is available.

## Where it runs

Only the main iOS and macOS apps build this index. The keyboard, Share sheet, and widgets do not. Derived recognized text and extra image copies stay in local app storage. They are not written to iCloud, export packages, or the keyboard snapshot.

If the system index is available, matching image items may also appear in Apple system search outside KeyPaste. When you delete the source item, or when Pro access is confirmed to have ended, KeyPaste removes the related local index data.

## If a photo does not show up

Confirm Pro is unlocked, open the main app after adding the image, and try a word that actually appears in the picture. Blurry, tiny, or stylized text may not be recognized. Concept matching for ordinary photos is also best effort.

To copy a few words from one image instead of searching the library, use [word selection](/guides/select-text-to-copy/).

## Related

- [How to copy part of a snippet or text from a screenshot](/guides/select-text-to-copy/)
- [How to see and manage clipboard history on iPhone](/guides/manage-clipboard-history-iphone/)
- [How to back up and export your snippets](/guides/back-up-your-snippets-and-clipboard/)