OCR PDF
Make a scanned PDF searchable and copyable. Nothing uploaded.
Scanned pages get a hidden layer of text, so you can search, select and copy it. The pages look exactly the same. Pages that already have text are left as they are. The first use loads the text reader (about 4 MB, plus 1 to 6 MB per language), then it works offline.
How it works
- Pick your files.Pick a scanned PDF.
- Your phone does the work.Choose the language of the text.
- Save the result.Save. The pages look the same, but now you can search and copy.
What OCR does
A scanned PDF is a stack of pictures: you can read it, but your phone can’t. Search finds nothing and you can’t copy a single word. OCR (optical character recognition) reads the words in the pictures and puts them back in the file as a hidden layer of text, right where each word sits on the page.
The scan itself isn’t changed or re-compressed, so the pages look exactly as before. Now you can search the file, select a sentence and copy it, and the file shows up when you search your phone or computer.
Read on your device
Most OCR sites upload your scan, often a contract, a bank letter or an ID. Here the text reader runs in your browser. The first time, it loads the reader and the language you pick (a few megabytes), then it works offline, even in airplane mode.
Good to know
- Pages that already have text are left alone, so a PDF with a few scanned pages is fine.
- Clear, straight scans read best. Handwriting is usually not recognised.
- Want the text in a document instead? Make the PDF searchable here, then open the result in PDF to Word.
Questions
How long does it take?
A few seconds a page on a recent phone, a bit longer on older ones. Long scans are read one page at a time, so your phone doesn’t run out of memory.
Which languages can it read?
English, Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Indonesian, Turkish, Italian, Vietnamese, Dutch, Arabic, Japanese and Korean. Pick the language the document is written in.
Will the file look different?
No. The words are added as invisible text over the picture of each page. The file gets a little bigger, by the size of the text.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Your scan is read in your browser and never leaves your device.