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    Contents
    • Using Scanner
      • Install Scanner Pro
      • Install Scanner Mini
      • Scanner Pro and Scanner Mini difference
      • Supported languages
      • Open the Scanner settings
      • Editing options in Scanner
      • How to crop and rotate scans
      • Choose your scan size (Custom, A4, A5…)
      • Change the color mode
      • Erase irrelevant details
      • Straighten curved lines on scans
      • Create a scan
      • Create a multi-page scan
      • Create a folder
      • Creating subfolders
      • Move scans into a folder
      • Rename a folder
      • Rename a scan
      • Reorder pages within a multi-page scan
      • Switch between the Grid and List views
      • Sorting options
      • Create Expense Reports
      • Import Documents
      • Choose between saving as a PDF, JPEG, or TXT
      • Share scans using the Export Button
      • Send faxes from the scanner app
      • Print scans
      • Share scans from cloud via a link
      • Share scans with Android devices
      • Transfer scans to desktop
      • Password protect scans while exporting
      • Share scanned files through a link
      • Use your cloud storage with Scanner
      • Connect new cloud storage and choose the upload mode
      • How to manually upload files to cloud storage
      • Use iCloud and Share with iCloud Drive differences
      • Text Recognition (OCR)
      • How to search through the recognised text
      • Scanner Widgets
      • Quick Actions
      • Scan documents in iMessages
      • Workflows
      • Smart Categories
    • Billing & Subscription
      • Use Scanner for free, or subscribe
      • How to check and manage your subscription status
      • How to cancel the free trial for Scanner PLUS
      • Refund processes in Scanner Pro and Scanner Mini
    • Troubleshooting
      • Missing/not loading scans in Scanner Pro
      • Can't email scans
      • Scanner crashes
      • There are no iCloud Sync and Store Scans in iCloud options in Scanner Pro Settings
      • Scanner freezes
      • Unable to scan
      • Restore accidentally deleted scans
      • Scans don’t auto upload to my cloud storage
      • Fax did not go through
      • Fax option is disabled
      • Can't delete duplicates
      • Auto-capture doesn't work
      • Can't see files in iCloud Drive
      • Pro features are unavailable
      • Scans are stored in another Readdle folder on iCloud Drive
      • Multipage scans are shared as separate files
    • Privacy & Data
      • Scanner privacy FAQ
      • Password protect the Scanner app
    • Contact us
    Home Using Scanner Apply Text Recognition Text Recognition (OCR)

    Text Recognition (OCR)

    Optical character recognition (OCR) is an intelligent text recognition technology that recognizes text in your scans and makes them searchable. Once a scan or an image goes through the OCR processing, it’s easy to read, select, and copy the contents to other apps.

    Jump to:
    • Prerequisites
    • Choose a language to recognize text
    • Recognize, copy, and share the text
    • Disable the Automatic Text Recognition
    • Privacy
    • Troubleshooting

    Prerequisites

    Improved OCR technology described in this article is available in Scanner Pro 8.0 or later and in Scanner Mini 8.8.2.455. For those who previously bought Scanner, this functionality is free. For new customers, the feature comes as a part of PLUS subscription.

    Choose a language to recognize text

    Scanner recognizes text in automatically preselected Latin-based languages by default. To switch to another language to process your scans, follow these steps:

    1. Open the Scanner Settings and tap Text Recognition (OCR).
    2. Make sure the Automatic Text Recognition (OCR) toggle is enabled. 
    3. Disable the Latin based-languages toggle and choose one language from the list.
    4. Tap Save.

    Recognize, copy, and share text

    1. Open a scan and tap Text at the bottom toolbar.
    2. Choose the Document or the Text tab at the top. The Document tab contains your scan with a text layer upon it while the Text tab contains text extracted from the scan.
    3. If the language of the scan differs from the one which is usually used in the text of your scans, tap Language at the bottom toolbar and make sure to choose the right language:
    • If the language of this scan is a Latin-based language, make sure that the Latin-based language toggle is enabled. 
    • If the language of the scan is not a Latin-based and differs from the one you had manually chosen in Settings, select a new language from the list and tap Reprocess.

    Then, select and copy the needed part of the text, tap Copy All at the bottom toolbar, or select Export to export the text layer to other apps. When finished working with the text, tap Done at the top right corner. 

    Disable the Automatic Text Recognition

    The Automatic Text Recognition is enabled by default and this allows you to quickly recognize and search through the contents of your scans. To turn it off, open the Scanner Settings > Text Recognition (OCR), and disable the Automatic Text Recognition (OCR) toggle. After that you’ll be asked whether to recognize text or not every time you tap Text at the bottom toolbar or try searching within the document.

    Privacy

    Please note that Scanner uses an on-device OCR model. That means that we don't upload the recognized text to any cloud storage and it is being safely stored on your device only. To learn how we treat your data to provide safety for your data, view our Privacy Policy. It can be found on our website or directly via Scanner Settings > Privacy Policy.

    Troubleshooting

    If you’re experiencing any issues with the Text Recognition feature, please make sure you have the latest app version installed. Next try to quit the app and launch it again. If the situation hasn’t been resolved at this point, please contact our support team by following these steps:

    1. Launch Scanner and tap the Settings icon at the top left.
    2. Scroll down and tap Support > Send Feedback.
    3. A new email window will appear. In your message, please describe the issue.
    4. Tap Send and our support team will get in touch to resolve the issue.
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