About the PDF to Text
Tezmy's PDF to Text tool pulls every word out of a PDF so you can copy, edit, search, translate or reuse it. The text is extracted page by page into an editable box, with clear page markers, and you can copy it all or download it as a plain .txt file. It uses the same PDF engine as Firefox and runs entirely in your browser, so contracts, reports and other private documents stay on your device.
Updated September 2026
How to use the PDF to Text
- 1Click Select PDF file, or drop your PDF on the page.
- 2Click Extract text.
- 3Edit the text if you like.
- 4Copy it or download it as a .txt file.
What you can do with extracted text
- Copy quotes and paragraphs into essays, emails or notes.
- Paste the text into a translator.
- Count the words with Word Counter, or listen to it with Text to Speech.
- Search long documents or reuse content without retyping it.
Why some PDFs have no text
PDFs made on a computer (from Word, Google Docs or a website) contain real text, which this tool extracts in seconds. Scanned documents and photos saved as PDF are only pictures of text, so there are no words to extract. These need OCR (optical character recognition), which reads text from images.
Tidying up the result
Text from PDFs often keeps the line breaks of the original page, so sentences are cut in the middle. Paste it into Remove Line Breaks to join the lines into normal paragraphs. Tables and columns become plain text, so check them before reusing.
Private documents stay private
Many online converters upload your file to a server. Here the text is read by your own browser, so contracts, medical letters and bank documents never leave your device. That also makes it fast: even long PDFs are processed in seconds, without waiting for an upload.
PDF to text on iPhone, Android or computer
Open this page in your browser, tap Select PDF file and choose a document from Files or Downloads. The text appears in the box within seconds. Tap Copy text to paste it into notes, email or a chat, or download it as a .txt file you can open anywhere.
Features
- Extracts text from every page
- Page markers for long documents
- Editable result
- Copy or download as .txt
- Handles large PDFs
- Private: files never leave your device
Frequently asked questions
Why is no text found in my PDF?
Your PDF is probably a scan: each page is a picture of text, not real text. Reading it needs OCR (text recognition), which this tool doesn't do yet.
Is the layout kept?
The words and line breaks are kept, but not columns, tables, fonts or images. For layout, use our PDF to JPG tool or the original PDF.
Can I extract text from a password-protected PDF?
Not until it's unlocked. Open it with the password in a PDF reader and print or save a copy without protection first.
Why are some characters strange?
A few PDFs use custom font encodings that don't map to normal characters. Copying from those PDFs gives odd characters in any tool.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Extraction happens in your browser.
How do I copy text from a PDF that won't let me select it?
Open it here: the text is extracted even when selecting is awkward in your viewer. If nothing appears, the PDF is a scanned image and needs OCR instead.
Can I convert a PDF to a Word document?
This tool gives you plain text without formatting, which you can paste into Word or Google Docs. It doesn't keep fonts, images or tables.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. Select the PDF in Safari or Chrome, then copy the text or download it as a .txt file.