Roadmap
Available On Release
- Image Capture from Screen Region
Click the tray icon, then use the primary mouse button to select any screen region and copy it directly to the clipboard as an image. - OCR Capture from Screen Region
Click the tray icon, then use the secondary mouse button to select any screen region and copy it directly to the clipboard as plain text. - Fullscreen Capture
Press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+S to capture a fullscreen image or CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+A to capture the readable text using OCR on the active monitor. This is ideal for working with fullscreen applications. You can also press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+O to open the capture overlay. Hotkeys are customizable through the GUI. - Window Capture
Capture an entire window with a single click. In capture mode, click any window without dragging to capture it. Left-click captures text using OCR, right-click captures the window as an image. You can also use CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+W to capture text from the window under your cursor, or CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+E to capture the window as an image. - QR Code and Barcode Recognition
Automatically detect and decode QR codes and barcodes from screen region captures, copying the decoded content directly to your clipboard as text. Supports many formats including QR, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec, UPC, EAN, Code 128, and more. Visit the help page for the full list of supported formats. - Multi-Monitor Support
Capture across multiple monitors seamlessly. Select regions that span displays or capture from any connected monitor. - Offline, Local Processing
All image capture and text recognition happens locally on your machine. UnicornOCR does not transmit your captures or recognized text. Privacy is a core design principle. - Automatic Capture Saving (Pro)
Images and text captured via OCR or barcode recognition can be optionally saved as timestamped files on your local machine. If the save folder becomes unavailable, UnicornOCR will attempt to disable the feature automatically to prevent errors. - On Demand Capture Saving (Pro)
Holding the shift key while capturing an image or text will save it to a user-defined folder instead of copying it to the clipboard. - Recent Captures History (Pro)
The Pro version retains your last five captured items, accessible directly from the tray menu. Click any recent capture to copy it back to your clipboard instantly, or shift click to be prompted to save it to a custom location and filename. - Recent Captures Preview (Pro)
When toggled on, a preview of the items in the capture history is displayed when you hover over the tray menu item. This allows you to quickly review and verify captured content before copying it to the clipboard, or saving a copy. The preview window's size and location can be customized through the GUI. - Automatic Updates
Updates are delivered through the Microsoft Store. If an update becomes available while UnicornOCR is running, a menu option appears to restart and apply it. - Zero Configuration
UnicornOCR works immediately after install. No accounts, no setup wizards, and no required configuration to use core features. Optional settings are available for customizing behavior such as auto-saving (Pro) or tray visibility. - Lightweight and Unobtrusive
Runs quietly in the system tray with minimal resource usage. UnicornOCR stays out of your way until you need it.
In Development
- Text-to-Speech
Have recognized text read aloud using your system’s voice engine. Useful for accessibility, multitasking, or reviewing text hands-free. - Additional Image Formats
Currently images saved with the pro version are saved in .png format. We are working on adding options for .jpg, .bmp, and other common formats. - Improved Fullscreen Region Selection
We're working to support region-based overlays even in fullscreen applications, matching the experience of standard windowed capture. - Customizable Number of History Items (Pro)
We're looking into adding the ability to configure how many recent captures are retained in your history, giving you more control over your workflow.
Exploring / Considering
- Automatic Language and Text Type Detection
Support for additional languages is planned, including auto-detection of source language and support for additional character and text types. - Translation Support
We are looking into adding features that may allow you to translate the text captured through OCR into your system's default language or a selected language of your choice. We are evaluating options for supporting fully offline translation for maximum privacy. - Tesseract Customization
A possible advanced version of UnicornOCR will offer a user interface for configuring Tesseract's numerous OCR options, enabling better performance for specific layouts, use cases, or input types. - Deep Learning Enhancements
Experimentation is ongoing in using machine learning rather than traditional OCR methods to improve performance with unusual, or visually complex text. While possible, it is challenging to do while keeping UnicornOCR fully offline and performant. - Rich Text and Table Formatting
Preserve rich text and table formatting when copying text with OCR, maintaining structure and layout from the original content. - LaTeX Parsing
Support for parsing and recognizing LaTeX mathematical notation. This is technically doable but adds significant size to the application. We are exploring the best way to include it as an optional package.
Note: Some planned features may be included in the Free version, others may be part of Pro. Final availability is still being determined. All roadmap items are subject to change, may be delayed, and are not guaranteed to be released. Roadmap items are informational only and should not be relied upon in making a purchase decision.
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