What to know

  • Google Chrome has added a new feature that allows users to extract text from scanned PDF documents.
  • The feature enables copying and searching text within image-based PDFs directly in the browser.
  • This update eliminates the need for separate OCR software when working with scanned documents.

Google has rolled out a significant update to Chrome that allows you to copy and search text from scanned PDF documents directly within the browser. This feature addresses a common frustration when working with PDFs that contain images of text rather than actual text content.

Previously, when you encountered a scanned PDF (essentially an image of a document), you couldn't select, copy, or search for text within it using Chrome. You needed to use specialized OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software or services to extract the text.

With this new capability, Chrome automatically detects when a PDF contains scanned text and processes it to make the content selectable. You can now highlight text in these documents just as you would in a regular text-based PDF.

The feature works seamlessly in the background. When you open a scanned PDF in Chrome, the browser processes the document and makes the text layer accessible. This means you can use standard keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+F to search within the document or Ctrl+C to copy selected text.

This update is particularly useful for students, researchers, and professionals who frequently work with scanned documents such as academic papers, old reports, or digitized books. It saves time by eliminating the need to switch between different applications or services.

The text extraction quality depends on the clarity of the original scan, but testing shows good results with most clearly scanned documents. Chrome's implementation uses advanced OCR technology to recognize characters accurately across multiple languages.

This feature is now available in the latest version of Chrome across Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. To access it, make sure your browser is updated to the latest version released on June 3, 2025.

Via: 9to5google.com