Can Spotlight search for text inside images like PNG files?

My last post on the subject. I created these two .pngs over an hour ago and Spotlight couldn't locate them by text. Not going to do another Spotlight index. Seems very hit & miss.

dialabrain wrote:

leroydouglas wrote:

Photos.app software certainly has the capability to present such search results.

Just curious. How would you use Photos to search a folder of images for text?

<search for text inside images like PNG files?>

using the search feature...

[Edited by Moderator]

leroydouglas wrote:

<search for text inside images like PNG files?>

That works when searching photos added to Photos. I thought the question was how to search a folder of images. I guess I misunderstood the OP's question.

James Brickley wrote:

Searching for Live Text within image files works in Spotlight on macOS Tahoe 26 and the file does not need to be in Photos. It works for files outside of the Photos Library.

I think we're talking about two different things.

Well, I have to admit one of the images was mostly grey. The other I haven't a clue and I can't post it here. When I typed in the word "Test", it did find this…

Along with my portrait twice (two different sizes), and seven screenshots of Linux desktops which don't include the word in the image or in the file name. 🤷‍♂️

leroydouglas wrote:

Photos.app software certainly has the capability to present such search results.

Just curious. How would you use Photos to search a folder of images for text?

Just to add, It works with some but not all images. Unless one has to rebuild the Spotlight index every time.

Barney-15E wrote:

…a picture of my daughter next to an elephant statue…

I'm guessing this is not the same picture…

FWIW, I added the above image to Photos and so far it doesn't recognize the elephant.

No, it was a baby elephant.