How to Convert PDF to TXT on iPhone and iPad (No App Needed)

Need to extract text from a PDF on your iPhone or iPad? Whether you're pulling quotes from a research paper, copying text from a scanned document, or converting a PDF for easier editing, you can do it all directly in Safari—no app download required.

This guide shows you exactly how to convert PDF to TXT on iOS devices, including support for scanned PDFs using OCR technology.

Why Extract Text from PDF on iPhone/iPad?

Mobile PDF text extraction is useful in many situations:

On-the-go productivity: Extract important information from PDFs while commuting, traveling, or away from your computer.

Quick sharing: Copy text from a PDF to paste into emails, messages, or notes without switching to a desktop.

Document editing: Pull content from PDFs to edit in mobile word processors or note-taking apps.

Research and study: Extract quotes and passages from academic PDFs directly on your tablet during study sessions.

Business use: Quickly grab text from contracts, invoices, or reports when you only have your phone handy.

The Challenge with PDFs on iOS

iOS doesn't include a built-in PDF to TXT converter. While you can view PDFs in Safari or the Files app, extracting text isn't straightforward:

Digital PDFs: You can sometimes select and copy text, but formatting often breaks, and it's tedious for longer documents.

Scanned PDFs: These are essentially images, so there's no text to select at all—you need OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to extract the content.

Multi-page documents: Copying text page by page from a long PDF is time-consuming and error-prone.

The solution? Use a browser-based converter that works directly in Safari.

Method: Using an Online PDF to TXT Converter

The fastest and most reliable way to convert PDF to TXT on iPhone or iPad is using pdf-to-txt.com—a free online tool that processes files entirely in your browser.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Safari and visit the converter

Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad and go to pdf-to-txt.com.

Step 2: Upload your PDF file

Tap the upload area or the "Choose File" button. You'll see options to:

Photo Library: Select a PDF saved in Photos
Take Photo: Capture a document with your camera
Browse: Access files from the Files app, iCloud Drive, or other cloud storage

Select your PDF file from any of these locations.

Step 3: Choose extraction mode

Select the appropriate mode for your PDF:

Text Mode: For digital PDFs with selectable text (faster)
OCR Mode: For scanned PDFs or image-based documents (requires language selection)

If your PDF is a scanned document, select OCR Mode and choose the document's language for best results.

Step 4: Convert the PDF

Tap the "Convert" button. The conversion happens right on your device—your file never uploads to any server.

Step 5: Download or copy the text

Once conversion is complete:

Download: Tap "Download TXT" to save the text file
Copy: Tap "Copy to Clipboard" to paste the text elsewhere
Preview: Review the extracted text before saving

Where to Find Your Downloaded File

After downloading, find your TXT file in the Files app:

Open the Files app
Go to Browse → On My iPhone/iPad → Downloads
Your TXT file will be there, ready to open or share

Using OCR for Scanned PDFs on iOS

One of the most powerful features is OCR support for scanned documents. Here's how to use it effectively:

Supported Languages

The converter supports 24+ languages including:

English (default)
Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
Japanese
Korean
Spanish, French, German, Italian
Arabic, Hebrew (RTL languages)
Russian
And many more

Tips for Better OCR Results

1. Good image quality: Ensure your scanned PDF is clear and readable. Blurry or low-resolution scans produce poor results.

2. Correct language selection: Always select the correct language for your document. For multilingual documents, choose the primary language.

3. Proper orientation: Make sure the document is right-side up. Rotated or skewed pages reduce accuracy.

4. Clean backgrounds: Documents with busy backgrounds or watermarks may have lower accuracy.

Privacy and Security on Mobile

A common concern when using online tools on mobile devices is privacy. Here's why pdf-to-txt.com is safe:

100% client-side processing: Your PDF never leaves your device. All conversion happens in your browser using JavaScript.

No file uploads: Unlike many "online" converters, this tool doesn't send your files to remote servers.

No account required: No signup, no email, no personal information collected.

How to verify: Open Safari's developer tools (connect to a Mac with Web Inspector) and check the Network tab—you'll see no file upload requests.

This makes it safe for sensitive documents like:

Personal identification documents
Financial statements
Medical records
Legal contracts
Confidential business files

Once you've extracted text from your PDF, you have several options on iOS:

Save to Files App

Tap "Download TXT"
Choose "Save to Files"
Select a location (iCloud Drive, On My iPhone, etc.)
Tap "Save"

Copy to Notes App

Tap "Copy to Clipboard"
Open the Notes app
Create a new note or open an existing one
Tap and hold, then select "Paste"

Download the TXT file
Open it in Files app
Tap the Share button
Choose AirDrop, Messages, Mail, or any other app

Send to Other Apps

The TXT file can be opened in:

Pages: For formatting and editing
Google Docs: For cloud-based editing
Microsoft Word: If you have the iOS app
Any text editor: Bear, iA Writer, etc.

Comparing iOS PDF Text Extraction Methods

Method	Pros	Cons
Online Converter	Works with all PDFs, OCR support, no app needed	Requires internet connection
Copy/Paste in Preview	Built-in, no tools needed	Only works with digital PDFs, loses formatting
Third-party Apps	Offline capability, extra features	Costs money, takes storage space
Shortcuts Automation	Can be automated	Complex setup, limited OCR support

Recommendation: For most users, the online converter offers the best balance of features, convenience, and cost (free).

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"I can't select any text in my PDF"

Your PDF is likely scanned or image-based. Use OCR mode in the converter to extract text from these documents.

"The extracted text has strange characters"

This usually happens when:

The wrong language is selected for OCR
The PDF uses unusual fonts
The scan quality is poor

Try selecting a different language or improving the source document quality.

"The conversion is taking too long"

OCR processing is more intensive than regular text extraction. For large documents:

Be patient—OCR on mobile can take 30-60 seconds per page
Ensure you have a stable internet connection (for loading the OCR engine)
Close other Safari tabs to free up memory

"I can't find my downloaded file"

Check these locations:

Files app → Downloads folder
Files app → iCloud Drive → Downloads
Safari → Downloads button (arrow icon in toolbar)

"The file won't open after download"

TXT files should open in any text viewer. Try:

Opening with the Files app
Using the Notes app
Sharing to a third-party text editor

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert PDF to TXT on iPhone without an app?

Yes! Use a browser-based converter like pdf-to-txt.com in Safari. No app download required, and it works on both iPhone and iPad.

Does it work offline?

The initial page load requires internet, but once loaded, text extraction for digital PDFs works offline. OCR for scanned PDFs requires an internet connection to load language data.

Is there a file size limit?

The converter supports PDFs up to 10MB, which covers most documents. For larger files, consider splitting the PDF first.

Can I convert multiple PDFs at once?

Currently, files are processed one at a time. For multiple documents, convert them sequentially.

Does it work with password-protected PDFs?

You'll need to unlock the PDF first. iOS can open password-protected PDFs if you enter the password—once open, you can use the converter.

What about PDFs with images and text mixed together?

The converter extracts text content. For mixed documents, use OCR mode to ensure all text (including text in images) is captured.

Conclusion

Converting PDF to TXT on iPhone and iPad is straightforward with the right tools. Using a browser-based converter like pdf-to-txt.com:

No app download needed—works directly in Safari
Supports all PDF types—digital and scanned
OCR for 24+ languages—extract text from any language
100% private—files never leave your device
Completely free—no signup or payment required

Whether you're a student extracting research quotes, a professional grabbing text from contracts, or anyone who needs to work with PDFs on mobile, this method gives you fast, reliable results.

Ready to try it? Visit pdf-to-txt.com on your iPhone or iPad and convert your first PDF in seconds.

Want to create PDFs on your iPhone? Learn how to convert Notepad files to PDF - the same method works great on iOS Safari!