About OCR PDF
OCR PDF turns a scanned document into a searchable PDF. Each page is read in your browser with an OCR engine, and an invisible text layer is placed behind the original page image, so you can search, select and copy words while the page still looks exactly like the scan. Your file never leaves your device.
How to use OCR PDF
- Select a scanned PDF from your device.
- Choose the language the document is written in.
- Select Make searchable PDF and wait while each page is read.
What to check
Recognition runs page by page, so long documents take a while — expect a few seconds per page on a modern device. Clean, straight, high-contrast scans give the best accuracy. The first run downloads the OCR engine and language data, which later runs reuse. After OCR, PDF to Word can extract the recognised text into an editable document.
Limitations
Latin-alphabet languages only for now. Accuracy depends on scan quality; handwriting, tables and very small print may be misread. Pages are stored as images, so the output can be larger than the input.
Frequently asked questions
Will my scan look different after OCR?
No. The original page image is kept and the recognised text is added as an invisible layer behind it.
Is my document uploaded anywhere?
No. The OCR engine runs in your browser; only the engine and language data are downloaded to your device.
Why are some words wrong?
OCR guesses characters from pixels. Blurry, skewed or low-resolution scans reduce accuracy — rescan at 300 DPI where possible.