diScanner offers two text-recognition workflows:

  • The green text viewfinder button on a selected page copies text from that page to the clipboard.
  • The text document button in the top toolbar processes the complete PDF and prepares a .txt file for sharing.

Use the full-document option when you need text from a multi-page scan in one file.

Export all recognized text

  1. Open the PDF from Documents.
  2. Review the page order. The text file follows the PDF’s current sequence.
  3. Rotate any sideways pages before starting recognition.
  4. Tap the text document button in the top-right toolbar.
  5. Wait while diScanner processes the document.
  6. Choose a destination from the iOS share sheet, such as Save to Files, Mail, Messages, or a compatible text app.
  7. Open the exported .txt file and proofread it against the scanned pages.

The exported filename is based on the PDF filename. Renaming the document before export makes the text file easier to identify.

What text recognition can and cannot preserve

The text file contains recognized characters, not a visual copy of the PDF. It may not preserve:

  • Columns and complex reading order.
  • Tables, form fields, and checkboxes.
  • Font styles, page backgrounds, stamps, or signatures.
  • Exact line breaks and spacing.
  • Handwriting or decorative type accurately.

Names, dates, prices, account numbers, and similar-looking characters require particular attention. For example, recognition can confuse 0 with O, 1 with I, or punctuation with marks in the scanned image.

Improve the result before exporting

  • Make sure every page is upright.
  • Rescan blurred, shadowed, or severely cropped pages.
  • Use high contrast between text and paper.
  • Keep the intended page order.
  • Remove pages that should not be included in the text output.

Text recognition does not replace the scanned PDF. Keep the PDF when layout, signatures, images, or an exact visual record matters.

Privacy considerations

The exported text becomes a separate file. After you hand it to the iOS share sheet, storage and transmission are handled by the destination you choose.

Before sharing sensitive text:

  1. Confirm the destination app and recipient.
  2. Review whether the filename reveals private information.
  3. Proofread the exported contents.
  4. Remove temporary copies from Files, Mail drafts, or other destinations when they are no longer needed.

Copying one page to the clipboard and exporting a complete text file create different kinds of copies. Clearing the clipboard does not remove an exported .txt file, and deleting the text file does not remove the original PDF.