Live Text is an advanced machine learning feature built into modern versions of iOS (iOS 15 and later) that automatically detects and extracts text from photographs, images on the web, and directly from the live camera viewfinder. It allows users to quickly copy, translate, or look up information embedded in images. While highly convenient for productivity, this continuous, background Optical Character Recognition (OCR) processing can be a concern in highly secure environments. Organizations dealing with classified or proprietary visual data may wish to disable the operating system’s ability to automatically parse and index text from every image the camera sees or the user views.
This guide explains how to completely disable Live Text system-wide on an iPhone, preventing the iOS neural engine from actively scanning images for interactable text.
Disable Live Text System-Wide
Disabling this feature prevents the operating system from overlaying the interactive text selection brackets on images across all native applications, including Photos, Camera, and Safari.
- Unlock your iPhone and open the main Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on General.
- Tap on Language & Region.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the menu to find the “Live Text” section.
- Locate the toggle switch labeled Live Text.
- Toggle the switch to the Off (grey) position.
Verify the Configuration Lockdown
Toggling this switch immediately unloads the background OCR processing models from the active camera and photo viewing pipelines.
To verify the change is active, open the native Camera app and point it at a physical document, a sign, or a computer screen containing clear, legible text. Previously, a yellow bracket would appear around the text, and a Live Text button would appear in the corner of the viewfinder allowing you to interact with the words. With the feature disabled, the camera will treat the text purely as visual pixel data; no brackets or interaction buttons will appear. Similarly, opening an existing photograph containing text in the Photos app will no longer allow you to highlight or copy the words. You have successfully disabled system-wide OCR.