How to Decode Morse Code from an Image
1. Add the Image
Choose a photo, screenshot or scan containing visible Morse code. You can also paste a copied screenshot or use the camera option on a supported phone.
2. Focus on the Morse
Crop away unrelated text, icons and background details. Rotate the picture if the Morse is not running horizontally. Clean, straight rows give the detector less noise to interpret.
3. Detect the Dots and Dashes
Auto mode checks the visible component shapes and spacing. If the result is unclear, switch between Visual Marks and Printed Morse Symbols or adjust Threshold and Foreground.
4. Review the Result
The overlay shows which regions were treated as dots, dashes or uncertain marks. Check the editable Detected Morse field before relying on the decoded text.
5. Correct or Copy
Fix a missed dot, dash or separator directly in Detected Morse. The text result updates immediately without rescanning the image. You can then copy either version or play the corrected Morse as audio.
How the Morse Code Image Decoder Works
An image contains pixels rather than Morse characters, so the decoder first converts the selected area to brightness values and separates likely signal marks from the background. It then groups connected foreground pixels into visible components and measures their shape.
Compact components are treated as possible dots, while wider horizontal components are treated as possible dashes. The horizontal gaps between those marks are used to estimate where one Morse character ends and the next begins. Wider gaps can indicate word boundaries.
Because photographs do not preserve perfectly standardized shape or spacing, ambiguous components are marked for review instead of being silently forced into a dot or dash. The detected Morse remains editable for the same reason.
Tips for Better Morse Image Detection
Image decoding works best when the dots, dashes and spaces are visually distinct.
Crop close to the code
Remove unrelated text, borders and interface elements when possible.
Keep the line straight
Rotate the image so the Morse runs mostly left to right.
Use clear contrast
Dark marks on a light background or light marks on a dark background are easiest to separate.
Avoid heavy blur
Compression, glare and motion blur can merge small dots or break long dashes.
Review the overlay
If a mark is labeled ?, correct it in the Morse draft or adjust the detection controls.
Private Browser Processing
The image decoder runs on your device using browser image-processing APIs. The uploaded picture, detected Morse and decoded text do not need to be sent to a server or an external AI service.
Closing or resetting the page removes the current image from the tool's working state. As with any local browser tool, the page itself still loads normal website resources and advertising according to the site's existing policies.
Image, Audio, or Typed Morse?
Use this Image Translator when the code is trapped inside a photo, screenshot or scan. If you already have editable dots and dashes, the main Morse Code Translator is faster. If the source is a recording, microphone signal or series of tones, use the Audio Morse Decoder instead.
Morse Code Image Translator
Photos, screenshots and scans.
Morse Code Translator
Typed text or editable dots and dashes.
Audio Morse Decoder
Recorded tones or microphone input.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Morse code image translator?
A Morse code image translator reads visible dots and dashes from a photo, screenshot or scan and converts them into editable Morse and readable text. This tool also shows the detected regions so you can review how the image was interpreted.
What image types can I upload?
You can use PNG, JPG, JPEG and WebP images up to 12 MB. Clear screenshots usually produce the cleanest shapes, while photos may need cropping, rotation or threshold adjustment.
Are my uploaded images sent to a server?
No. The image analysis for this tool runs locally in your browser. The picture is used to create a temporary local preview and processing canvas rather than being uploaded to a Morse-decoding server.
Can it read white Morse code on a dark background?
Yes. Leave Foreground on Auto first. If the marks are detected backwards, select Light marks so the brighter pixels are treated as the Morse signal.
Can it decode handwritten Morse code?
Sometimes, but handwriting is not guaranteed. Uneven shapes, blur, perspective and inconsistent spacing can make dots and dashes ambiguous. Use the detection overlay and edit the Morse draft when needed.
What does the ? symbol mean in Detected Morse?
A ? means the image contained a component whose shape could not be classified confidently as either a dot or a dash. Review that mark in the overlay and replace the ? manually when you know the intended signal.
What is Printed Morse Symbols mode?
It is intended for screenshots or scans containing visible punctuation-style Morse such as ... --- ... rather than larger graphic dots and bars. It detects the visible dot, dash and slash shapes geometrically; it is not a general-purpose OCR system for reading ordinary text.
Does the Morse Code Image Translator use AI?
No. This version uses deterministic browser-side image processing to separate the background, find connected visual marks, measure their shapes and reconstruct Morse spacing. That keeps the image local and makes the detected marks visible for review instead of sending the picture to an external AI service.
Why is my decoded text wrong even though most marks look correct?
Morse depends on spacing as well as dots and dashes. A photo may make the gap between two letters look too small or make one character gap look like a word break. Correct the spaces or / separators in Detected Morse and the text updates immediately.
Can I create a Morse code image instead?
Yes. Switch to Text → Morse Image, enter your message and download the generated Morse graphic as PNG or SVG.
Related Morse Code Tools
Morse Code Translator
Convert normal text to International Morse or decode typed dots and dashes.
Audio Morse Decoder
Decode Morse from an audio recording or live microphone signal instead of an image.
Morse Code Alphabet
Check the standard letters, numbers and symbols when reviewing a detected pattern.
Morse Code Keyboard
Practice typing or sending Morse manually with keyboard, mouse or touch controls.