Image OCR: Turn Photos into Searchable, AI-Ready Documents
Not every document lives as a PDF or Word file. Meeting notes on a whiteboard, receipts in your wallet, printed handouts, business cards — these are all “documents” trapped in image form. LocalRAG! v1.2 adds image import with on-device OCR: snap a photo or import an image, and the app extracts all readable text using Vision (iOS) or ML Kit (Android). Once extracted, you can ask AI questions about the content just like any other document.
Documents trapped in photos
You’ve photographed a whiteboard after a meeting, scanned a contract with your phone’s camera, or saved a screenshot of important information. The text is there, visible in the image, but you can’t search it, copy it, or ask AI about it. Most AI document tools only accept PDF or text files — they ignore images entirely. You’re left manually typing out the content or using a separate OCR app, then pasting text into yet another tool.
How LocalRAG! handles images
LocalRAG! accepts JPG, PNG, HEIC, and WebP images directly. When you import an image, on-device OCR (Apple Vision on iOS, Google ML Kit on Android) extracts all readable text — without sending the image anywhere. The extracted text is chunked and indexed just like a PDF or DOCX, so you can immediately ask questions, request summaries, or search across all your documents including images.
Import an image
Take a photo or import an existing JPG, PNG, HEIC, or WebP file. You can select multiple images at once for batch import.
On-device OCR
Vision (iOS) or ML Kit (Android) scans the image and extracts all readable text. Japanese and English are supported. Everything stays on your device.
Ask questions
The extracted text is indexed alongside your other documents. Ask AI questions and get answers with source citations referencing the original image.
Why use LocalRAG! for image documents
Direct image import
No need for a separate OCR app. Import photos directly into LocalRAG! — JPG, PNG, HEIC, and WebP are all supported.
On-device OCR
Text extraction happens entirely on your device using Apple Vision or Google ML Kit. Your images are never uploaded to any server.
Mixed document library
Images sit alongside PDFs, EPUBs, and other documents in your collections. Search and ask questions across all formats at once.
Batch import
Select multiple images at once from your photo library. Each is processed sequentially with clear progress indication.
Example questions for image documents
“What are the action items from this whiteboard?”
LocalRAG! extracts the whiteboard text and identifies action items, deadlines, and assignments mentioned in the notes.
“Summarize the key points from this receipt”
The AI reads the OCR’d receipt text and summarizes the vendor, items, amounts, and date.
“What does this printed document say about the deadline?”
LocalRAG! searches the extracted text from the scanned document and finds deadline-related information with citations.
“Compare the information in this photo with my PDF contract”
When both documents are in the same collection, LocalRAG! searches across both and compares the relevant sections.
Verdict
With image OCR support, LocalRAG! bridges the gap between physical and digital documents. Whiteboards, receipts, printed handouts, screenshots — anything with readable text can now be imported, indexed, and queried with AI. Combined with 12 other supported formats, sub-collections for organization, and complete on-device privacy, LocalRAG! is the most versatile mobile document AI tool available.
FAQ
What image formats does LocalRAG! support?
LocalRAG! supports JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, HEIF, and WebP image formats. You can import photos taken with your phone camera or images saved from other apps.
How accurate is the OCR?
LocalRAG! uses Apple Vision (iOS) and Google ML Kit (Android) for OCR, which provide high accuracy for printed text in English and Japanese. Handwritten text recognition depends on legibility. Note that OCR extracts text only — it doesn’t understand visual relationships like chart labels or diagram arrows.
Can I use images with other document types in the same collection?
Yes. Images, PDFs, EPUBs, and all other supported formats can coexist in the same collection or sub-collection. When you ask a question, LocalRAG! searches across all document types in the selected scope.
Try LocalRAG! Free
Free tier with 5 questions per day. No account required.