MC1192663 - SharePoint: OneDrive and SharePoint – recognize text in PDFs
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Summary
OneDrive mobile apps will gain built-in OCR to recognize text in scanned PDFs, making them editable and searchable. Rolling out worldwide from mid-December 2025 to late January 2026, the feature is enabled by default and requires no admin action. Users activate it by long-pressing a PDF page.
More information
Introduction
Turn scanned PDF files into editable, searchable text using built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in the OneDrive mobile app. This feature helps users reuse information, speed up document workflows, and make content easier to find.
When this will happen:
General Availability for Worldwide, GCC, and GCCH: Rollout begins mid-December 2025 and is expected to complete by late January 2026.
How this affects your organization:
Who is affected: All users of OneDrive mobile apps on iOS and Android.
What will happen:
- Users can recognize text in scanned PDF files directly within the OneDrive mobile app.
- The feature is enabled by default.
- To use the feature:
- Open the OneDrive mobile app.
- Open the scanned PDF you want to make searchable.
- Long-press the page and select Recognize Text (on iOS) or Recognize text (on Android).
- After OCR completes, users will see the message: Text is now selectable.
What you can do to prepare:
- No action is required from admins.
- Some users may see this feature before others as rollout progresses.
- Communicate this change to helpdesk staff to assist users with the new functionality.
- Update internal documentation if you provide guidance on OneDrive mobile features.
Learn more: We will update this post with new documentation when it becomes available.
Compliance considerations:
No compliance considerations identified; review as appropriate for your organization.