How to use text recognition OCR when using m365 copilot app to create pdf scan and save to onedrive?

Michael M 0 Reputation points
2025-09-04T18:06:40.3733333+00:00

I am using M365 Copilot app on iPhone16 > "Create" > "Scan" > "Import" > "Review and Edit" > "Finish" > "Save to OneDrive" to scan receipts and bookkeeping documents. I can see the scanned image in my OneDrive but want the receipts to go through OCR / text recognition in the process so I can search them when doing taxes, etc. I used to do this via a SnapScan document scanner and they would go through OCR text recognition on my laptop after scanning then I would save them in OneDrive. Doing the same using a mobile device would be super convenient since I would not have to carry a separate scanner. Is it possible for M365 Copilot app to do text recognition when scanning an image and saving to OneDrive?If not possible for M365 Copilot app is there another app to use an iPhone to scan and OCR receipts to OneDrive?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | iOS

Locked Question. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

3 answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2025-09-04T20:16:43.65+00:00

    Hi Michael,
    Yes, the Microsoft 365 Copilot app for iOS supports OCR via the "Image to Text" action, allowing you to extract and reuse text from scanned images. However, OCR isn’t automatically applied when using the "Create > Scan > Save to OneDrive" workflow. To make receipts searchable, manually trigger "Image to Text," then save the extracted text alongside the image (e.g., in Word or OneNote). Alternatively, use Power Automate to extract and store searchable text. Microsoft Lens is being retired, and Copilot doesn’t yet support automatic OCR tagging.

    For alternatives, you may find this article helpful: Best Receipt Scanner Apps *Disclaimer: This is a third-party source and may contain affiliate links or promotional content. Always verify app features and privacy policies before use.

    Best,
    Jeric.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Matt Seitz 50 Reputation points
    2025-10-20T18:28:52.71+00:00

    This seems to be a regression from Microsoft Lens. Lens would recognize text and store it as text within the generated PDF. So far, when I the use the Copilot app, it just stores scanned text as graphics when generating a PDF.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  3. Deleted

    This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

    Comments have been turned off. Learn more