Document & File Summarization
Attach PDFs and text files to any chat message so the AI can read and summarize them.
Overview
LucidPal can process documents entirely on-device. Attach a PDF or plain-text file to your message, and the AI extracts the text and answers questions about it — without uploading your files anywhere.
| Supported format | How text is extracted |
|---|---|
PDF (.pdf) | PDFKit (text layer) + Vision OCR fallback for scans |
Plain text (.txt) | Read directly |
Markdown (.md, .markdown) | Read directly — open via Files app and use Share → LucidPal |
Rich Text (.rtf) | NSAttributedString parser |
Attaching a Document
Document attachment works in both chat sessions and agent tasks — see In Agent Mode below for the agent-specific flow and Pro requirement.
- Open any chat session.
- Tap the paperclip icon next to the input bar.
- The system document picker opens — browse Files, iCloud Drive, or any connected provider.
- Select a file. A pill (small badge showing the filename) appears above the input bar, confirming the attachment.
- Type your question (optional) and send. The send button is enabled even without text when a document is attached.
You don't need to type anything. Simply attach a file and send — the AI will summarize the document automatically.
What You Can Ask
Once a document is attached, the AI has access to its full text for that message. Example prompts:
- "Summarize this document"
- "What are the key points in this contract?"
- "List all dates mentioned in this report"
- "Does this PDF mention a refund policy?"
Limitations
- Text limit: Document text is capped at 8,000 characters. Pages are read in order until the limit is reached; content beyond that is not sent to the model.
- Scanned PDFs: LucidPal uses on-device OCR to extract text from image-based PDFs. Accuracy depends on scan quality.
- No persistent storage: Attached documents are processed for the current message only. They are not saved to your notes or any persistent store.
- One file per tap: The document picker is single-select. Tap the paperclip again to add another file; each appears as its own pill above the input bar. Tap × on a pill to remove it before sending.
In Agent Mode
Attaching documents in Agent Mode requires a Pro plan.
The doc icon in the Agent Mode input bar opens the same system document picker. Key differences from chat:
| Chat | Agent Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry point | Paperclip icon in chat input | Doc icon in Agent sheet input bar |
| Max files per submission | Unlimited (one per tap) | 3 files |
| Characters extracted per file | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Attachments cleared after send | Yes | Yes |
| Plan required | Free | Pro |
The agent can combine document content with tool calls in the same task. For example:
- "Add the action items from this PDF to my notes"
- "Does this contract mention a deadline this month? Check my calendar."
- "Summarize these three reports and email me the highlights"
Privacy
Document content is processed locally using PDFKit and Apple's Vision framework. No file content leaves your device.
How does OCR work on scanned PDFs?
When PDFKit finds no selectable text in a PDF page, LucidPal falls back to Apple's Vision framework to run on-device optical character recognition. The recognized text is then passed to the language model. This happens automatically — you don't need to do anything differently.