The scan stays as it was
Words are laid over the page invisibly; the picture itself is never touched.
Recognise text (OCR).
Scans you can search.
Make a scanned PDF searchable. Windows’ own text recognition reads each page and lays the words invisibly over the scan, so you can select, search, copy and convert it.
- Runs on your PC
- No upload, no account
- Free
Make a scanned PDF selectable, searchable and convertible
- OPENS
- MAKES
- name (searchable).pdf; the scan is untouched
- IN THE APP
- Tools › PDF › Recognise text
How it works
Three steps.
All on your PC.
- 01
Open Tools › PDF › Recognise text, or choose it in the Reader.
- 02
Pick the language, which pages to read, and Faster, Standard or Careful.
- 03
Open the searchable copy. The original scan is not changed.
What you get
Built for the
real document.
Your languages
Reads the languages you have added to Windows, or chooses automatically.
Sideways pages fixed
Pages scanned on their side or upside down are read the right way up.
Straight into Word
PDF to Word, Excel and EPUB read scans as they convert, when Read scanned PDFs is on.
Good to know
Honest limits.
No surprises.
- Needs a Windows language with text recognition; the app explains how to add one.
- Results depend on scan quality. Crooked scans get a warning.
- A PDF that already has text on every page is left as it is.
First time? The install guide shows every screen, including the Windows warning.
Is my document uploaded for OCR?
No. Recognition uses the engine built into Windows and runs on your PC.
Can I convert a scan to Word directly?
Yes. With Read scanned PDFs on in Settings (the default), PDF to Word, Excel and EPUB read scans as they convert.
Works well with
Keep going.
Recognise text (OCR), without the upload.
Podalls Convert v0.2.1 for Windows 11. Free for personal and commercial use.