PDF · iEdit Scanner
Convert PDF to text you can edit, copy or save
PDF to text in iEdit pulls the words out of a PDF on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. PDFs with a text layer are read directly; scanned pages are rendered and read with on-device OCR, and the result is editable text you can copy.
Overview
Choose a PDF from My files or from your device and iEdit returns its text in an editor where you can fix a word, select a passage or take the lot. For PDFs made from Word documents, e-mailed invoices or exported statements, the words come straight from the file's own text layer, so they are exact. Copy them free, or share or save them as TXT or Word DOCX.
Pages that have no text layer, typical for a PDF that was scanned or photographed, are rendered and read with text recognition on your device. iEdit tells you how many pages were read from the image, so you know which parts to proofread. The same nine scripts are available as in the rest of the app, chosen with a chip above the text, and the default follows your app language. Handwriting is not read.
It is the quick way to quote a clause from a contract, reuse a paragraph from an old report, or get a scanned letter into a message. Reading the text layer and recognising scanned pages both happen on the device, so a long PDF can be processed on a train with no signal, and the file is never uploaded anywhere.
Why people use it
- 01
Exact text from typed PDFs
Where the PDF has a text layer, the words are taken from it directly, with no guessing.
- 02
Scans read on the device
Image-only pages are recognised with on-device OCR, and iEdit tells you how many pages that was.
- 03
Edit before you copy
The result opens in an editor, so you can fix, trim and select before copying or saving.
How to use PDF to text in iEdit
- 1
Open iEdit and tap PDF to text on the Scan tab.
- 2
Pick a PDF from My files or your device.
- 3
Wait while iEdit reads the text layer, or recognises pages that have none.
- 4
Edit the text, then tap Copy, or share or save it as TXT or Word.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting a PDF to text work offline?
Yes. Reading the text layer and recognising scanned pages both happen on your device, so the tool works without a connection. The one exception is a one-time model download if you choose a script your device cannot read by itself, which iEdit asks about first.
What does PDF to text cost in iEdit?
Converting the PDF and copying the text to the clipboard are free. Sharing the text as a TXT file, or saving it as TXT or Word DOCX, is part of iEdit Premium, an optional monthly subscription with a 3-day free trial.
Why does my PDF come out as empty or garbled text?
A scanned PDF has no text layer, so iEdit reads its pages as images; make sure the script chip matches the language on the page. Password-protected or restricted PDFs are refused with an explanation. Handwriting is not recognised, and very small or blurred print may need a sharper scan.
Try PDF to text in iEdit
Available for iPhone, iPad and Android.