The problem

You've got a PDF contract, a photo of a handwritten note, or a screenshot of a receipt — and you assume AI tools like Claude are text-only, so you'd have to retype everything yourself before you can even ask a question about it.

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That assumption costs you time you don't need to spend — and it's not even true on the free plan.

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The solution

Claude reads photos and PDFs directly — no retyping, no separate OCR app. Snap a photo or open a PDF, attach it to the chat, and ask your question in plain language. This works for handwriting, printed documents, tables, charts, and screenshots.

Common everyday uses:

• Summarize a long PDF instead of reading all of it
• Pull specific numbers out of a receipt or invoice photo
• Get a plain-language explanation of a dense document
• Compare two versions of a document side by side

How it looks on a tablet

1. Open Claude and tap the attach/upload icon in the chat box
2. Choose a photo from your gallery, take a new one, or pick a PDF file
3. Add your question in the same message — for example, "What's the total due and when is it due?"

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Example prompt: attach a photo of a utility bill and ask "What's the total, and is this higher than last month?"

Claude reads the image directly and answers — no manual typing required.

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The trick

For multi-page documents, a clean PDF works better than a stack of separate photos. If you only have photos, make sure each page is well-lit and the text isn't cut off at the edges — that's what actually affects accuracy, not which plan you're on.

The takeaway

Reading photos and PDFs isn't a Pro-only convenience. It's available on the free plan, and it turns your tablet's camera into an input method — not just a screen.