Scan a printed book into audio with OCR: a step-by-step guide
Not every book is an ebook. The novel on your shelf or the textbook on your desk can become audio too - using nothing but your camera.
What you'll need
- The printed book or pages you want to listen to.
- Decent lighting - daylight or a bright lamp works best.
- The HooWooh app with camera access enabled.
1. Open the scanner
From the home screen, choose Scan. Lay the book flat and hold your phone steady above the page so the text fills the frame.
2. Capture clean pages
HooWooh's OCR reads the text from each photo. For the best accuracy:
- Keep the page flat - press the spine down on thick books.
- Avoid glare and shadows across the text.
- Capture one or two pages at a time for sharp focus.
Tip: You can scan a whole chapter in a sequence - HooWooh stitches the pages together in order.
3. Review the text
After scanning, you'll see the extracted text. Give it a quick glance and fix any odd character before generating - OCR is accurate but unusual fonts can slip.
4. Choose a voice and generate
Just like a file upload, pick a narration style and voice, then generate. Your printed book becomes a downloadable audiobook you can take anywhere.
Great for
Students turning textbooks into commute revision, readers finishing a paperback hands-free, and anyone preserving an out-of-print book as audio.