Handwriting to Text

approved

by jirayu3141

This plugin has not been manually reviewed by Obsidian staff. Photograph handwritten pages and transcribe them into your notes using Google Gemini AI.

↓ 128 downloadsUpdated 3mo agoMIT
Install in ObsidianView on GitHub

Handwriting to Text

An Obsidian plugin that transcribes handwritten pages into text using Google Gemini AI.

Photograph your handwritten notes, journal entries, or anything on paper — the plugin extracts the text and inserts it directly into your active note at the cursor position.

Features

  • Scan from file or camera — pick an image from your device, or use your phone's camera directly on mobile
  • Scan from clipboard — paste a screenshot or photo you've already copied
  • Select from vault — choose an image already in your Obsidian vault
  • Drag and drop — drop an image onto the modal (desktop)
  • Editable preview — review and edit the extracted text before inserting
  • HEIC support — iPhone photos (HEIC format) are automatically converted for preview on desktop
  • Thai and multilingual support — faithfully transcribes non-English handwriting
  • Customizable prompt — tweak the OCR instructions to suit your handwriting style
  • Works on mobile — fully functional on iOS and Android Obsidian

How to use

  1. Open any note in the editor
  2. Place your cursor where you want the text inserted
  3. Trigger the plugin via:
    • The camera icon in the left sidebar ribbon, or
    • The command palette: "Handwriting to Text: Scan handwriting", or
    • The command palette: "Handwriting to Text: Scan from clipboard"
  4. Select or photograph your handwritten page
  5. Review the transcription, edit if needed
  6. Click "Insert into Note"

Setup

  1. Install the plugin from Obsidian's Community Plugins
  2. Enable it in Settings > Community Plugins
  3. Go to Settings > Handwriting to Text
  4. Paste your Google Gemini API key (get one free at Google AI Studio)

Settings

SettingDescription
Gemini API keyYour Google AI Studio API key
ModelWhich Gemini model to use (default: Gemini 2.5 Flash)
OCR promptThe instruction sent alongside the image — customize for your handwriting style or language

Supported models

  • Gemini 3 Flash (preview)
  • Gemini 3 Pro (preview)
  • Gemini 2.5 Flash (default, recommended)
  • Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite (fastest, cheapest)
  • Gemini 2.5 Pro (highest quality)

Privacy

  • Images are sent to Google's Gemini API for processing. No data is stored by this plugin.
  • Your API key is stored locally in your vault's plugin data folder.
  • No telemetry or analytics are collected.

License

MIT

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