Convert a PDF to TXT on Mac
On a Mac, getting plain text out of a PDF usually means opening Preview, selecting the words by hand, and hoping the copy lands in the right order, or reaching for Automator and a script you would rather not write. FixTools does it in one step in the browser. Open the tool in Safari or Chrome, choose the PDF from Finder or your Downloads, and the selectable text is read from every page and shown in a box. You then save it as a plain .txt file, which lands straight in your Downloads folder, or copy the whole thing to the clipboard to paste into TextEdit, Notes, or Pages. Because pdf.js reads the file locally in the browser, the PDF never leaves your Mac, there is no app to install from the App Store, and nothing is uploaded. It works the same on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, and on any recent version of macOS.
- Cost
- Free tier
- Sign-up
- Not required
- Processing
- Tool-specific
- Privacy
- Clearly disclosed
Runs in Safari or Chrome on macOS, nothing to install
Saves a plain .txt file straight to your Downloads
The PDF never leaves your Mac
PDF Tool
PDF to Txt
Open the tool to see its processing method, supported formats, and current limits.
🚀Open PDF to TxtFree tier · No account · Limits shown before processing
Why the browser beats Preview and Automator for this
Preview can copy text, but selecting a whole multi-page document by hand is slow, and it often grabs the words in an odd order when a page has columns or sidebars. Automator can script an extraction, but building and maintaining a workflow is far more effort than a one-page form deserves. Neither gives you a clean plain-text file in a single click.
FixTools reads the entire document at once and hands you the plain text ready to download or copy. Because everything runs inside the browser tab with pdf.js, the file stays on your Mac and there is nothing to keep updated. The one case it cannot handle is a scanned PDF, which is just images of pages with no text to read. For those you would use the OCR PDF tool instead.
How to use this tool
Open the tool in Safari or Chrome, pick your PDF from Finder, and the text extracts automatically. Click Download .txt to save it to your Mac, or copy it into TextEdit or Notes.
How It Works
Step-by-step guide to convert a pdf to txt on mac:
- 1
Open the tool in your browser
Launch FixTools PDF to Text in Safari or Chrome on your Mac. It loads as a web page, so there is no App Store download.
- 2
Choose the PDF
Click the upload area and select the PDF from Finder, Downloads, or Desktop. The file loads into the browser, not to a server.
- 3
Read the text layer
The tool uses pdf.js to pull the selectable text from every page and shows it in a box with the page and character count.
- 4
Save the .txt file
Click Download .txt. The file saves to your Downloads folder named after your PDF, ready to open in any Mac editor.
- 5
Or copy to paste
Use Copy text to grab the whole result, then paste it into TextEdit, Notes, Pages, or an email.
Real-world examples
Common situations where this approach makes a real difference:
Pulling notes into Pages
A Mac user lifts the text from a meeting agenda PDF and pastes it into Pages to build follow-up notes.
No App Store install
Someone on a managed work Mac cannot install conversion software but can open a web page in Safari.
Cleaner than Preview copy
A researcher grabs a full report in one pass instead of selecting page by page in Preview and fixing the order.
Quick paste into Notes
A user copies a recipe or set of instructions out of a PDF into the Notes app for easy reference on the go.
Pro tips
Get better results with these expert suggestions:
Use Safari or Chrome
Both run the tool well on macOS, so use whichever is already open. The result is the same.
Find the file fast
The downloaded .txt lands in Downloads. Press Command and J in Finder to sort by date and spot the newest file.
Paste as plain text
When pasting into Pages or Mail, use Edit then Paste and Match Style so the text takes on your document formatting.
Scanned Mac PDF? Use OCR
A PDF you scanned with a Mac and a scanner is image-only. Send it to the OCR PDF tool to get readable text.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
More use-case guides for the same tool:
Related tools
Other tools you might find useful:
OCR PDF
Pull text from scanned or image-only PDFs that have no text layer.
PDF to Word
Convert to an editable document when you need the formatting kept.
TXT to PDF
Turn a plain text file back into a shareable PDF.
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Ready to get started?
Open PDF to Txt to review its free limits and processing method.
Open PDF to Txt →Free tier · No account needed · Transparent limits