Make your documents searchable. Privately, on your Mac.

How does OCR work exactly?

A neural network that has been trained on real documents can recognize each letter in a document. The app then places those letters as an invisible, searchable text layer onto your PDF while keeping the original page exactly as it looks.

Which file types are supported?

The app supports PDF files and the most common image formats, including JPEG, PNG, TIFF and HEIC/HEIF. You can drop in single files as well as whole folders.

Which languages can be recognized?

OnDevice OCR Pro accurately recognizes text in 13 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese (Yokogaki), Korean, Turkish and Vietnamese.

What is Batch Processing?

Batch processing means handling many files at once: drop in hundreds of pages and OnDevice OCR Pro processes them all in a single run.

Is handwriting recognition supported?

No. OnDevice OCR Pro is designed for printed and typed text. Handwriting is not supported as of yet.

What is the “Intelligent Filter” and what is it good for?

OnDevice OCR Pro can distinguish between actual scans without a text layer and digital PDFs, such as invoices received by email. Digital PDFs are already searchable and do not need to be processed with OCR again. If your folders contain both actual scans and digital PDF files, OnDevice OCR Pro only processes files that are not yet searchable.

What does Intelligent Orientation do?

Intelligent Orientation detects the text direction on each page and automatically corrects pages that are rotated or upside down. It does not force landscape documents into portrait; pages are only corrected when the text direction indicates the page orientation is wrong.

Can it re-apply OCR to documents that are already searchable?

Yes. If you have documents that have bad existing OCR, you can let OnDevice OCR Pro rescan those documents and apply a new OCR layer.

Are there ways to automate the OCR process?

Yes, you can automate your workflow with OnDevice OCR Pro using either the Hot Folder or the Agentic Integration feature.

1) Hot Folder: The Hot Folder monitors a specific folder — for example, your scanner's network folder — and then automatically processes each new document in the background. The step-by-step guide shows how to automate OCR on a Mac.

2) AI agents: With the new Agentic Integration feature, you can instruct AI agents such as Claude Cowork, ChatGPT (Codex), or OpenClaw to process documents with OnDevice OCR Pro without opening the app.

Neither feature requires the main app to be open.

How much does OnDevice OCR Pro cost?

Prices may vary by country, currency, and App Store taxes. To see the current price, open OnDevice OCR Pro in the Mac App Store using the button above and check the In-App Purchases section. The Lifetime version price will be shown there for your region. You can download the app for free and test all its features with a watermark.

Is there a subscription?

No. OnDevice OCR Pro is a one-time purchase and you can use it forever.

Does it run on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs?

Yes, OnDevice OCR Pro is a universal app and runs natively on both Apple Silicon (M1 and later) and Intel Macs.

Which macOS version is required?

macOS 14.6 (Sonoma) or later. Currently, all essential features are available in every supported version.

Does it work offline?

Yes. OnDevice OCR Pro works fully offline — no internet connection is needed and nothing is ever sent to a server.

Is there any data being collected?

No. True to its name, OnDevice OCR Pro does not collect any user data whatsoever. No personal information ever leaves your Mac.

Does OnDevice OCR Pro comply with GDPR rules?

OnDevice OCR Pro is built for GDPR-compliant workflows: everything runs locally and no data is collected, so there is nothing that could leave your Mac in the first place.

This statement applies to OnDevice OCR Pro itself. If you connect external AI agents or automation tools, you are responsible for configuring their file access and data handling. OnDevice OCR Pro does not upload documents to AI services; it only provides the local integration interface.