How to convert a PDF to Word
Word and Google Docs can both open a PDF directly. Here is how, and what to use when the result comes out messy.
Why this usually just works, and sometimes doesn't
Converting a PDF to Word means rebuilding editable paragraphs, headings and (approximately) formatting from a format that only stores where each character sits on the page, not the document structure behind it. For a PDF that was originally a Word document exported to PDF, this reconstruction is usually accurate. For a scanned document (a photo or scan with no real text layer) or a PDF with a complex multi-column layout, the result is rougher, since the converter is guessing at structure that isn't really there.
In Microsoft Word
Open Word, choose File, Open, and select the PDF directly. Word converts it automatically and opens it as an editable document; a message explains that some layout may shift as a result. Save it as .docx from there. This works in Word for Windows and Mac without any add-in.
In Google Docs
Upload the PDF to Google Drive, right-click it, choose Open with, Google Docs. Docs converts it into an editable document, with the same layout caveats as Word's conversion, and keeps the original PDF untouched in Drive alongside the new Doc.
On an iPhone or Android
Neither the Word nor Google Docs mobile apps convert a PDF to an editable document the way their desktop and web versions do; they mainly view PDFs. Converting on a phone means using a tool built for it, or opening the file in a desktop version later.
A dedicated converter for the text underneath
Stayput's PDF to Word tool rebuilds paragraphs and headings from the PDF's text layer directly, on your phone or computer, in the browser, without uploading the document. It also offers a plain-text export for when you only need the words, not the formatting. As with Word and Docs' own conversion, a scanned PDF with no text layer needs OCR first, such as with Stayput's image to text tool, before there is any text to convert.
Questions
Can I convert a scanned PDF to Word?
Only after it has gone through OCR to create a text layer; a scan is just an image until then, so any converter starts by guessing text from pixels, and it is only as good as the OCR behind it. OCR PDF adds that text layer on your device; convert the searchable copy afterwards.
Why did the formatting change after converting?
The converter is reconstructing structure (columns, headings, spacing) from where text sits on the page, which is an approximation rather than a copy of the original document's actual layout.
Is there a free way to convert PDF to Word without installing anything?
Yes. Opening the PDF directly in Word or Google Docs (both already have this built in) or using a browser-based converter both avoid installing separate software.
Does converting a PDF to Word online upload my document?
It depends on the tool. Google Docs' conversion uploads it to Google Drive by definition; a browser-based tool that processes the file locally does not upload it anywhere.