How to Extract Text from a PDF as Markdown on iPhone

TL;DR

PDFExtract pulls a PDF's native text and generates clean Markdown output, turning reports and papers into editable, structured text you can drop into notes — all processed on-device.

Steps

Import your PDF into PDFExtract.
Choose text extraction.
PDFExtract pulls the native text and generates Markdown.
Preview the Markdown result.
Share the Markdown file or export it with images as a ZIP.

Why it works this way

A PDF locks text into a fixed layout; getting it back into something editable usually means retyping or a cloud converter. PDFExtract reads the native text and outputs Markdown, so structure like headings and lists survives into your notes — and it does it on-device, so research papers and internal reports never leave your phone.

Tips & edge cases

Native PDFs extract cleanest; scanned pages use OCR instead.
Markdown drops straight into notes apps and knowledge bases.
Preview first to check the structure before you export.

FAQ

What format is the extracted text? Markdown, so the structure carries over into notes apps and knowledge bases.

Does it work on native (non-scanned) PDFs? Yes. It extracts the PDF’s native text directly; scanned pages fall back to OCR.

Is my document uploaded? No. Extraction runs locally on your device.