How to copy text from a scanned document on iPhone
Scanner 1.0 is awaiting App Store review. This guide previews the submitted version; a public download is not available yet.
Scanner uses on-device text recognition to extract text from saved pages. The result is useful for copying passages, but it still needs a check against the original.
App used in this guide: Scanner ↗
Before you begin
Start with a sharp, upright scan. Printed text with even lighting is easier to recognize than handwriting, decorative lettering or a page folded through a sentence. Language support depends on the device and system.
Step by step
- Open the saved document in Scanner.
- Choose the Text or Extract Text action and wait for recognition to finish.
- Read the recognized result alongside the scan, checking names, dates and numbers.
- Copy the text, or use the text conversion tool when you need a TXT file.
Check the result
Check characters that look alike, such as the letter O and the number 0. Review line breaks before pasting into a form; columns and tables may not keep their original reading order.
Limits and troubleshooting
OCR is not a guarantee of an editable document with the original layout. If important words are missing, rotate or rescan the page and run recognition again rather than silently accepting the result.
Publisher disclosure: SpaceNode develops the app described here. Screens and options can vary by version, device and region. Manufacturer names identify compatibility and do not imply endorsement.