OCR PDF – Make a Scanned PDF Searchable
Turn scanned PDFs and photos into searchable, copyable text. Free, no signup, nothing is uploaded.
Processed on your device · no uploadDrop a scanned PDF or photos here, or choose files
PDF, JPG, PNG, WEBP · stays on your device · or paste with Ctrl+V
What to do next
How to use OCR PDF
Add your scan
Drop a scanned PDF, or photos of pages (JPG, PNG, WEBP). Several files become one PDF.
Pick the language
English is the default. Choose the language of the text, and a second one if the page mixes two.
Run OCR
Press Run OCR and watch the page counter. You can cancel at any time.
Save or copy
Download the searchable PDF (the page looks the same, with invisible text on top), copy the text, or save it as .txt.
Frequently asked questions
Is my file uploaded?
No. The recognition runs in your browser. Only the OCR engine and the language data are downloaded, never your file.
Why is the first run slower?
The first time you use a language, your browser downloads its data (a few MB) from a free CDN and keeps it. After that it starts faster. You need to be online for the first run.
Which languages work?
English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, German and more are in the list. Accents and non-Latin scripts work, but handwriting does not.
How accurate is it?
Clean, straight, 200 dpi or better scans of printed text read well. Blurry photos, curved pages, tables, columns and handwriting give mistakes, and layout is not rebuilt.
Is there a page or size limit?
No fixed limit, but big scans take time because your device does the work: expect a few seconds per page. Keep the tab open until it finishes.
Does it make a Word file?
No. You get a searchable PDF and plain text. Paste the text into Word or Docs if you need to edit it.