PDF & scans
PDF to text: copy the text out of a PDF
To get the text out of a PDF, choose the file: the text of every page shows here at once, ready to copy or download as a .txt file. Scanned PDFs have no text to copy, because their words are pictures.
- Copy or save as .txt
- Nothing uploaded
Your files stay on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
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How to convert a PDF to text
- 01
Choose your PDF
Pick the PDF from your phone or computer. Each page's text is read on your device, one page at a time.
- 02
Check the text
The text appears in a box, page by page, with a word count. Pages with no text are listed so you know which ones are scans.
- 03
Copy or download
Tap Copy text to paste it into an email, form or document, or Download .txt file to keep it.
Good to know
- No OCR: a scanned page or a photo of a page is a picture, so it has no text to copy. The tool tells you when this happens.
- Text comes out in reading order as the PDF stores it. Tables and two-column pages may come out row by row.
- Bold, fonts, colours and pictures are left out. You get plain text only.
- Up to 500 pages per file. PDFs locked with a password can't be opened.
Questions people ask
How do I copy text from a PDF?
Choose the PDF here and tap Copy text. The text of every page is copied at once, so you don't have to select it page by page.
How do I convert a PDF to a .txt file?
Choose the PDF and tap Download .txt file. Each page's text sits under a line like --- Page 2 --- so you can find your place.
Why is no text found in my PDF?
Your PDF is probably a scan or a photo of pages. Its words are pictures, not text. This tool does not do OCR (reading text from pictures), so it can't get words out of a scan.
Is it safe to extract text from my PDF here?
Yes. Your browser opens the PDF and makes the new file on your own device. Nothing is uploaded, so contracts, statements and ID scans never leave it.
Does it keep the layout and formatting?
No. You get plain text with line breaks. Fonts, bold, tables and pictures are left out, which makes it easy to paste anywhere.
Can I get text from only one page?
The text is shown page by page under page headings, so copy the part you need from the box, or extract that page first with Extract PDF pages.
How do I copy text from a PDF on my phone?
Open this page in your phone's browser, choose the PDF and tap Copy text. All the text is copied at once, which is easier than selecting it with your finger.
Does it work with Hindi, Arabic and other languages?
Yes, when the PDF stores its text as Unicode, as most new PDFs do. PDFs made with older non-Unicode fonts, common in Hindi, can come out as wrong letters even though the page looks right.
Can I convert a PDF to Word?
Not here. This tool gives plain text only. Copy it into Word or Google Docs and format it there, or keep the .txt file.