How to extract text from a PDF
- Tap Choose file and pick your PDF.
- Optionally type the pages you want.
- Press Extract Text.
- Press Copy to paste the text anywhere, or Download .txt to save it.
Why extract text
- Copy a long notice or circular into WhatsApp, an email or a document without retyping.
- Search, count or translate the words of a PDF in another app.
- Get clean text from a PDF that does not let you select across pages easily on a phone.
Safe for private documents
Text extraction happens inside your own browser. Your file is not uploaded to our server, so Aadhaar copies, marksheets, bank statements and office papers stay on your phone or computer. There is no sign-up, no daily limit and no watermark, and it works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac.
Scanned PDFs
The tool reads the text that is stored inside the PDF. A scanned PDF is only a picture of a page, so it has no text to read and the tool will tell you so. To check, try to select a word in your PDF reader: if it highlights, the text can be extracted.
Tips for clean text
Text comes out in reading order, page by page. Tables become lines of words separated by spaces, so for tables PDF to Excel gives a better result. Headers and footers that repeat on every page, such as a website address, appear on every page of the extracted text too; you can remove them quickly in any text editor. To work on only part of a long file, type the pages you need, for example 3-5, so the result is shorter. The text is copied as it is stored in the PDF, so spelling and spacing match the original document.
Related tools
- Want an editable document with paragraphs? Use PDF to Word.
- Have text and need a PDF? Use TXT to PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How do I copy text from a PDF?
Choose the PDF, press Extract Text, then press Copy and paste it where you need it.
Does it work with Hindi PDFs?
Yes, when the PDF stores Hindi as Unicode text. Some old PDFs made with legacy fonts may show odd characters.
Why does it say no text found?
The PDF is a scan or a photo of a page, so there is no text inside it.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The file is processed inside your browser and is never sent to our server.
Can I save the text as a file?
Yes. Press Download .txt.