Make a Scanned PDF Searchable on Android — OCR

Two output modes: Searchable or Editable

The Recognise text tool works on files you already have — a scan made by another app, a camera capture, an image-heavy contract. It runs on the phone and offers two outcomes, and the difference between them matters more than any accuracy claim:

The two OCR output modes
Feature	Mode	What happens to the page	What you get
Searchable	Recommended when you are unsure	The page image stays exactly as it is; a text layer is added underneath	Text becomes searchable and copyable, and the appearance does not change
Editable	For pages you intend to edit	Recognized text replaces the original image pixels	A page you can edit like any text page — but a misread cannot be recovered, because the original pixels are gone

When you are not sure which you need, pick Searchable — the app suggests the same thing. Editable mode destroys the image it replaces, so a recognition mistake becomes permanent the moment you save. Searchable keeps the original pixels and puts recognized text beside them, so nothing is lost when the recognition is imperfect.

How to OCR a PDF on Android

Open the scanned PDF

Pick the file in the system picker. The document diagnosis already marks which pages are scans and what the editability grade is, so you know OCR is the right tool before you start.

Choose Searchable or Editable

Searchable keeps the page appearance and adds a text layer; Editable replaces the image pixels with recognized text. When you are unsure, the interface itself suggests Searchable.

Let the model work page by page

English and Chinese are recognized automatically, taking the better result page by page. Everything runs on the phone: the model is bundled in the app, so there is nothing to download and no server involved.

Review the handwriting flags

Each line is classified on the device as printed or handwritten. Detected handwriting regions are surfaced for review, so you can check and correct them; where handwriting and print cannot be told apart, the app says so instead of guessing.

Save the result

The saved file is re-opened and verified after writing. In Searchable mode the pages look the same as before and are now searchable; in Editable mode the recognized text is a real text page you can edit.

Printed text, handwriting and two languages

Recognition covers English and Chinese without a language picker: both models ride along in the app, and each page gets the better of the two results. That per-page choice matters for mixed documents — an English letterhead over a Chinese signature block, for example — because the decision is made per page, not per document.

Every recognized line is classified on the device as printed or handwritten.
Handwriting regions can be detected, listed and reviewed by you — the app treats them as candidates for correction, not as settled text.
Where handwriting and print cannot be distinguished, there is an explicit notice rather than a silent guess.

Handwriting is the honest weak spot of any OCR: neat print fares far better than cursive, and the per-line classification exists precisely so the uncertain parts are visible before you rely on them.

What OCR on Android cannot do

Recognition quality follows scan quality. Skewed pages, low resolution and very sloppy handwriting all lower the result, and no OCR is accurate in every case — treat the output as text worth reviewing, not as settled fact. Start from the best capture you have.

OCR also sets the ceiling for everything that happens afterwards. If a recognized word is wrong, editing the text will edit that wrong word faithfully — the mistake belongs to the OCR step, not to the editor. The editing workflow itself is on edit PDF text on Android, and replacing wording in a scan — OCR first, edit second — is walked through in replace text in a PDF.

One distinction worth making: camera scanning is a different tool. On devices that have Google Play services, the app can scan documents with the camera, and a camera scan is an image-only PDF — to search or edit that text you run the OCR described here afterwards. This page is about OCR acting on a file that already exists, in any of those cases.

PDFMason is on Google Play — the download page has the store link and system requirements. OCR is included with every other tool: everything is free during early access, and a one-time purchase is planned for the future.

FAQ

Does OCR on Android need an internet connection?

No. The recognition model is bundled inside the APK, so OCR runs entirely on the phone. Devices without Google Play services get the same feature — no network, no account, no upload.

Should I choose Searchable or Editable mode?

Searchable keeps the page image and adds a text layer underneath, which is why the app recommends it when you are unsure. Editable replaces the image pixels with recognized text: useful when you need to edit, but a misread cannot be recovered once the original pixels are gone.

Can the app recognize handwriting?

It can detect it. Every line is classified on the device as printed or handwritten, and handwriting regions are surfaced for review and correction. Where handwriting and print cannot be told apart, the app shows an explicit notice instead of guessing.

Which languages does the OCR support?

English and Chinese, recognized automatically with the better result taken page by page. There is no language pack to download — both models ship inside the app.

I scanned pages with the camera. Why are they not searchable?

A camera scan is an image-only PDF — the text is pixels, so there is nothing to search yet. That is expected, not a defect: run the OCR tool on the file and it gains a searchable text layer, or editable text if you choose that mode.

Is the OCR accurate in every case?

No, and the app does not claim it. Quality depends on the scan: skew, low resolution and sloppy handwriting all reduce it. Review recognized text before relying on it, especially before editing — OCR quality, not the editor, sets the ceiling on how correct the words are.

PDFMason for Android is coming

The browser tools handle whole pages. The app edits the text inside them — on your device, with nothing uploaded.

Edit the text and images already in the PDF
Convert to Word, Excel and PowerPoint — no upload
OCR, redact, fill and sign — everything on the phone

Scan to install Opens Google Play on your phone