Insert data from picture

Want to turn images that have table data into data that you can edit in Excel? With the new Data from Picture feature, it's a snap.

macOS iOS/Android

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With the new Data from Picture feature, you can insert data from a screen clipping on your clipboard, an image file from your computer, or from your iPhone camera.

Important: Only the following character sets are supported: Bosnian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

How it works

1. Capture your data from an image. There are three methods:

   Method	Steps	Tips
   Use an existing picture file	Click Insert > Data From Picture > Picture From File.	The image should only depict the data you want to import. If necessary, crop the image. Avoid images that depict data from an angle - the perspective should be head-on and focused. If applicable, consider fixing the perspective using your iPhone controls.
   Take a screenshot	Take a screenshot of the table, then click Insert > Data From Picture > Picture From Clipboard.	Make sure your screenshot only includes the data you want to import.
   Scan data using your iPhone   (Requires iPhone configured to use Continuity Camera.)	In Excel, right-click a cell, then click Scan Documents. Aim your iPhone camera at the data. Adjust the lighting and focus, then tap the button to take a picture. Make any further adjustments to the image, then tap Save.	The document you are scanning should be as well-lit as possible. Make sure you scan only the data you want to import. Don't scan from an angle - aim directly at the data. If necessary, use your iPhone controls to make adjustments to the scanned image.

2. After you have captured the picture, the Data from Picture dialog box shows Excel's progress analyzing the image for data.

3. Review the results, make any data corrections necessary, and then click Insert Data.

Scenarios to try

• Import data from a sample image file   Right-click the following image and save a local copy, then click Insert > Data From Picture > Picture From File and follow the on-screen instructions to convert the picture to data.

  

• Scan some data from a book or magazine   If you see some interesting data in a book and want to use it in Excel, this is a great way to skip the typing. If you have an iPhone, right-click in Excel on your Mac and select Scan Documents. Your iPhone will light up. Then you can take a picture of the data, and follow the on-screen instructions to bring the data in Excel in no time.

• Screen capture a table from a website   If you've ever tried to copy and paste some data from a web site, you've likely noticed that the formatting looks different after you've pasted it than it did on the website. Instead, try to capture a screen clipping of the table (by pressing SHIFT+CTRL+CMD+4 on your Mac), then select Insert > Data from Picture > Picture From Clipboard. Then, follow the instructions on screen.

• Take a picture of some printed data   Maybe you'd like to get data from your previous tax returns into Excel and you only have printed copies. Just take a picture of each one, transfer the pictures to your Mac (OneDrive is great for this). Then, click Insert > Data From Picture > Picture From File and follow the on-screen instructions to convert picture to data.

Get Started

Open Excel on your phone or tablet and tap the Insert data from picture button to get started

Next, narrow in on your data until you see it surrounded by a red border, then tap the capture button. If needed, you can use the sizing handles around the edges of the image to crop it to size first.

Excel's powerful AI engine will process the image and convert it to a table. When it first imports your data, it will give you a chance to correct any issues it discovered during the conversion process. Tap Ignore to move on to the next issue, or Edit to correct the issue. 

Press Insert when you're done, and Excel will finish the conversion process, and display your data.

Supported Languages

The Insert data from picture feature is currently supported in the following languages:

• English

• Bosnian

• Croatian

• Czech

• Danish

• Dutch

• Finnish

• French

• German

• Hungarian

• Italian

• Norwegian

• Polish

• Portuguese

• Romanian

• Serbian

• Slovak

• Slovenian

• Spanish

• Swedish

• Turkish

See Also

Get Office for Android

Video: Getting started with Excel for Android

Excel for Android help