Direct answer
To use an AI tutor from a PDF, select the exact source you need help with, ask what you want to understand, and verify the response against the original.
For a paragraph, circle the passage. For a calculation, include the formula and the step where you are stuck. For a scanned page, check what OCR recognised before trusting the explanation. BBNotes keeps the question and answer beside the PDF or handwriting so you can continue working without rebuilding the context in another chat.
A focused workflow
Ask the page in four small steps.
Choose the source
Circle a passage, formula, page region, or handwritten step. Smaller selections usually make it easier to see what the question refers to.
State the problem
Ask for a definition, an explanation of a step, a worked example, or a hint. Say whether you want the tutor to guide you instead of giving the final answer immediately.
Compare with the source
Check signs, units, terminology, diagrams, and qualifiers against the PDF. AI can misread dense formulas and handwriting.
Return to your working
Use the explanation as a next step, then write your own reasoning on the same page. Keep the source and the answer connected for later review.
What the tutor sees
Text, formulas, handwriting, and page context are not equally easy.
A selectable text layer gives the clearest starting point. Scanned or image-heavy pages may need OCR, and handwriting or equations can be difficult to recognise. If the tutor receives a selected region, include enough surrounding context to explain the question but not more sensitive material than necessary.
BBNotes AI tutoring is opt-in. Requests need Settings → AI Data Sharing, an internet connection, and available AI usage. Review the compatibility and limitations record and the privacy policy before using sensitive course material.
When it helps
Use an AI PDF tutor for the question in front of you.
Good when you already have clean text
Copying a short quote can be enough for a quick definition, but you must rebuild the context and then find your way back to the source.
Useful when the page and working matter
Ask beside the source when a formula, diagram, translation, or handwritten step is part of the problem. The question stays tied to the material you were viewing.
AI PDF tutor questions
What students ask first.
Can an AI tutor answer questions from a PDF?
Yes, when the tutor can read the selected page or document context. Select the passage, formula, or region you mean and ask a focused question; then check the answer against the source.
Can I ask about a scanned PDF?
Scanned or image-heavy pages may need OCR. Recognition quality depends on scan clarity, layout, handwriting, equations, and language, so verify the extracted content.
Does an AI PDF tutor work offline?
BBNotes AI tutoring needs internet access, explicit AI Data Sharing permission, and available AI usage. Ordinary note editing does not require sending a tutor request.
Can the tutor give me a hint instead of the answer?
BBNotes offers guided questions and hints so you can continue your own reasoning. Check the explanation against your course material.
Keep thinking on the page
Ask the PDF. Then do the next step yourself.
Try the circle-to-ask workflow on one real course page and check the published boundaries before relying on it for important work.
Product sources
Check the current feature boundary.
AI tutoring conditions and limitations are based on the current BBNotes product record, App Store listing, and privacy policy. Availability can change with the app version, device, document, and remaining usage.