# How to copy or extract text from a PDF | Nimbo

> Get all the text of a PDF as plain text you can copy or save as TXT, free in your browser. What to do when the PDF is a scan.

On any device

# How to copy or extract text from a PDF

Written by the Nimbo team · Last updated October 1, 2026

Short answer

Open the free PDF to Text tool, drop the PDF, and the text of every page appears; copy it or download it as a TXT file. If the PDF is a scan (a photo of pages), there is no text to extract: it needs text recognition (OCR) first.

## PDF to Text

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

## With the free Nimbo web tool (any device)

1. Open [PDF to Text](https://nimbopdf.com/pdf-to-text/) and drop your PDF.
2. Read the extracted text in the preview; add page markers if you want.
3. Select Copy, or download the TXT file.

## With Nimbo on iPhone

1. Open the PDF in Nimbo and tap PDF Tools.
2. For a scan, choose Recognize Text to make the PDF searchable.
3. Then select and copy text, or ask the document a question.

## Tips

- Columns and tables are extracted in reading order as plain text; their layout is not kept.
- If the result is empty, the PDF is probably a scanned image.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why is the extracted text empty?

The PDF contains images of pages, not text. Text recognition (OCR) is needed, for example in Nimbo on iPhone.

### Does it keep formatting?

No. You get plain text, which is ideal for pasting elsewhere.

### Is my PDF uploaded?

No. The text is extracted in your browser.

## Related tools

[PDF to Text](https://nimbopdf.com/pdf-to-text/)[PDF reader](https://nimbopdf.com/pdf-reader/)

## More guides

- [How to translate a whole PDF on iPhone and keep the layout](https://nimbopdf.com/how-to-translate-a-pdf-on-iphone/)
- [How to ask questions to a PDF on iPhone (with the exact source)](https://nimbopdf.com/how-to-ask-questions-to-a-pdf-on-iphone/)
- [How to make a scanned PDF searchable on iPhone (OCR)](https://nimbopdf.com/how-to-make-a-scanned-pdf-searchable-on-iphone/)
- [How to summarize a long PDF on iPhone](https://nimbopdf.com/how-to-summarize-a-pdf-on-iphone/)

Do it now, free

[PDF to Text](https://nimbopdf.com/pdf-to-text/)

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

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Source: https://nimbopdf.com/how-to-extract-text-from-a-pdf/ · Nimbo (English) · https://nimbopdf.com/llms.txt