OCR Text Scanner for iPhone
A scan is a picture of words until OCR turns it into words. Scanner App reads your documents and gives you text you can copy, search, edit, and reuse, in more than 50 languages.
- Recognizes text in 50+ languages, including handwritten notes
- Makes your scans searchable, so you can find a document by what it says
- Copy the text or export it as TXT
How text recognition works
- 1. Scan or import: capture the page, or open a photo you already have.
- 2. Recognize: tap recognize and the text is read off the page on your device.
- 3. Review: proofread the result and fix anything the camera made hard to read.
- 4. Use it: copy a paragraph, search the document, or export the whole thing as TXT.
Why searchable beats stored
A folder of image-only PDFs is a filing cabinet you cannot look inside. You remember there was an invoice with a particular reference number, but the only way to find it is opening files one by one until it turns up.
Once text has been recognized, the document becomes findable by its content. That changes scanning from something you do to archive paper into something you do to actually use it later.
Handwriting, receipts, and awkward pages
OCR quality depends on the capture. Even lighting, a flat page, and a straight angle matter more than megapixels, which is why the document scanner corrects perspective and evens out exposure before recognition runs. Printed text comes out cleanest; handwriting is supported and works best when the writing is reasonably tidy.
Everything is processed on your iPhone, so a page of medical notes or a contract is never uploaded anywhere. Our guide covers the details of extracting text from a photo or scan on iPhone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I extract text from a photo on iPhone?
Open the photo or scan in Scanner App and tap recognize. The text is read on your device and can then be copied, searched, or exported as a TXT file.
How many languages does OCR support?
More than 50, so mixed-language documents and non-Latin scripts are handled without switching apps.
Does it work on handwriting?
Yes, with good accuracy on reasonably tidy handwriting. Printed text is always the most reliable, and a flat, evenly lit capture makes a bigger difference than anything else.
Are my documents uploaded for text recognition?
No. Recognition runs on your iPhone, so it works offline and the contents of your documents never leave the device.
OCR guides from the blog
Turn pictures of words into words
OCR in 50+ languages, on your device. Free to download.
