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Recognize the text in a scanned PDF (OCR)

Turn a scan or a photo into a PDF whose text can be searched, selected and copied.

or drag them here

Processed on your device, nothing is uploaded

How do I recognize the text in a scanned PDF (OCR)?

  1. Choose a scanned PDF, or photos of documents.
  2. Choose the language and the result (selectable PDF or plain text).
  3. Press “Recognize text”: each page is read by your device; then download the result.

A scanned document is just an image: you cannot search it for a word or copy a sentence from it. Optical character recognition (OCR) reads the text in the image and adds it, invisibly, underneath the page.

The document looks exactly the same, but you can now search it for an amount, copy an address or convert it to Word. French and English are recognized, accents included.

Recognition is done by your device, without uploading your documents: ideal for tax notices, contracts and letters. Allow a few seconds per page.

Frequently asked questions

Why does it take longer the first time?

Your device downloads the recognition engine once (a few megabytes). After that, it is kept in memory and the tool even works offline.

Is the recognition reliable?

Yes on a sharp, straight document. A blurred, tilted or badly lit photo gives poorer results: use the Scan tool first to improve it.

Can I get just the text?

Yes, choose “Plain text”: you get a .txt file to paste wherever you want.

Are my documents uploaded online?

No, recognition happens entirely on your device.

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