iOS 14 Features New OCR Capabilities That Will Convert Handwritten Text From Apple Pencil Into Typed Text

iOS 14 may include a new PencilKit feature that will allow you to handwrite text in any text input field using Apple Pencil, with the handwritten content then converted into standard text before it's sent. So, for example, you might be able to tap into a Messages text field with the ‌Apple Pencil‌, hand write a message to someone, have it automatically converted to a more easily readable typewritten text, and then send it.

ipadproapplepencil
According to information obtained by MacRumors, the PencilKit feature appears to work with any text input field available in iOS, making it compatible with Messages, Notes, Reminders, Calendar, Mail, and more. A floating interface will pop up whenever a text field is tapped with the pencil, allowing for the written input.

Apple does not have a feature at this time that converts handwritten content into typed content, but the Notes app does have functionality that recognizes handwritten words and allows them to be searched.

It looks like third-party apps will also be able to access a PencilKit tool that will support some kind of new handwriting functionality, but the extent of it is unclear.

It is not known if this is a finalized feature that is going to make it into iOS 14. Rumors have indicated Apple is taking a new approach to iOS development that will allow certain features to be toggled off and sidelined if they are not ready for launch in order to cut down on bugs.

Along with the handwriting-to-text feature, Apple also appears to be working on a shape-drawing function that supports a "Magic Fill" feature, allowing users to draw a general shape with the ‌Apple Pencil‌ that's then filled in by iOS.

We'll be sharing more details on what we can expect to see in iOS 14, with our iOS 14 roundup serving as a hub for everything that's been found so far.

Related Forums: iOS 14, iPad Accessories

Top Rated Comments

OriginalMacRat Avatar
54 months ago
Newton is back baby!!
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
54 months ago
Eat up Martha
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
54 months ago

bugs , normal software company would push show of saying they have x y future but in the end how stable is it like now my waste of money buying camera adapter kit for usb purpose pen drive with ipad mini but only working on beta 4 ipad os not current stable version?
1) how about some punctuation? I have no idea what you are saying.
2) https://developer.apple.com/documentation/vision. They already spend massive amounts on this sort of problem. They aren’t going to buy somebody else’s solution.
3) are you Nebo’s mom or something? Your statements are very weird.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nicho Avatar
54 months ago

err. what. good luck with just pure link.. :p
did you handwrite this comment with nebo?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
54 months ago
If only my handwriting wasn’t complete **** :-)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ErikGrim Avatar
54 months ago

Eat up Martha
I came here to comment this, but I knew in my heart of hearts it already had.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Rumored to Add These 10 New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday April 24, 2024 2:05 pm PDT by
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more....
Apple Silicon AI Optimized Feature Siri

Apple Releases Open Source AI Models That Run On-Device

Wednesday April 24, 2024 3:39 pm PDT by
Apple today released several open source large language models (LLMs) that are designed to run on-device rather than through cloud servers. Called OpenELM (Open-source Efficient Language Models), the LLMs are available on the Hugging Face Hub, a community for sharing AI code. As outlined in a white paper [PDF], there are eight total OpenELM models, four of which were pre-trained using the...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
macbook pro purple february

Best Buy Introduces Record Low Prices on Apple's M3 MacBook Pro for Members

Thursday April 25, 2024 7:41 am PDT by
Best Buy is discounting a collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, this time focusing on the 14-inch version of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a...
apple id account

Apple ID Accounts Logging Out Users and Requiring Password Reset

Saturday April 27, 2024 12:41 am PDT by
There are widespread reports of Apple users being locked out of their Apple ID overnight for no apparent reason, requiring a password reset before they can log in again. Users say the sudden inexplicable Apple ID sign-out is occurring across multiple devices. When they attempt to sign in again they are locked out of their account and asked to reset their password in order to regain access. ...
macos sonoma feature purple green

Apple's Regular Mac Base RAM Boosts Ended When Tim Cook Took Over

Friday April 26, 2024 6:34 am PDT by
Apple used to regularly increase the base memory of its Macs up until 2011, the same year Tim Cook was appointed CEO, charts posted on Mastodon by David Schaub show. Earlier this year, Schaub generated two charts: One showing the base memory capacities of Apple's all-in-one Macs from 1984 onwards, and a second depicting Apple's consumer laptop base RAM from 1999 onwards. Both charts were...