Read Morse Code From a Picture or Screenshot
Upload one clear horizontal line of dots and dashes — not general photo OCR — and translate it to text in your browser.
How do I read Morse code from a picture?
To read Morse code from a picture, upload a cropped, high-contrast image of one horizontal line of dots and dashes to the MorseClue image translator. Adjust the threshold, invert if the symbols are light on dark, then copy the decoded text. It runs in your browser; it is not a general photo OCR tool.
Choose a clear Morse code image
What this tool can (and cannot) read
This tool is built for one horizontal Morse signal line — not general OCR. That boundary matters so you know when to recrop and when to read by hand.
- Can: one clear horizontal line of dots and dashes, high contrast, steady letter spacing.
- Cannot: arbitrary photo OCR, messy handwriting, mixed multi-line layouts, or tattoos on curved skin.
- For tattoo spelling, check a printed stencil or marks by hand on the Morse code chart, or read the Morse tattoo spelling check.
How to prepare a screenshot
- Crop so only the signal line remains.
- Keep high contrast between dots/dashes and the background; light background with dark marks, or the reverse with Invert on.
- Letter spacing must be clearly wider than the gaps inside a single letter.
- Tweak Threshold until Detected Morse matches what you see, then read Decoded Text.
Fix common decode mistakes
- Whole string becomes E/T: dots and dashes were split by extra gaps — tighten the crop or adjust threshold.
- Gibberish / �: contrast is too low or the crop includes noise — raise contrast and crop closer.
- Words stuck together: the image has no word gaps — after decoding, insert / or spaces by hand in the homepage translator.
After you get the Morse text
Copy the Detected Morse line into the homepage translator to listen, replay, or reverse-translate as a check. For printed puzzles, also see Morse escape-room puzzles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can it read Morse from any photo?
No. It expects one clean horizontal signal line, not general OCR.
What file types work?
PNG, JPG, WEBP, GIF up to 5 MB.
Why should I invert the image?
Light dots on a dark background need Invert so the detector sees symbols as dark marks.
Is my image uploaded?
No. Processing is local in the browser (the page says “LOCAL PROCESSING” / “Files stay on your device”).
The decoded text is wrong — what should I do?
Recrop, raise contrast, tweak threshold; then paste the detected Morse into the homepage translator to double-check.
Can it read a tattoo photo?
Unreliable on curved skin; decode the printed stencil instead, or check marks by hand on the chart.
Related tools
Homepage translator · Morse code chart · Audio decoder · Listening trainer · Escape-room puzzles