How to Scan Documents Using your iPhone

Scanning documents on your iPhone is an easy alternative to not having a scanner nearby. Although it won’t typically reach the same quality level as an actual scanner, it does save you the scramble of looking for the nearest three-in-one printer.

Additionally, using the Notes app, iPhones allow you to scan, edit, and share documents without having to resort to third-party apps.

Using Notes to Scan Documents

1. Open Notes on your iPhone.

   

2. Place the document you want to scan on a flat surface in a well-lit room or area.

   

3. Create a New Note or open an Existing Note on the Notes app.

   

4. Tap on the Camera icon.

   

5. You will see a pop-up with the options: Scan Documents, Take Photo or Video and Choose Photo or Video. Select Scan Documents.

   

6. Follow the prompts on the screen as your iPhone looks for all the paper corners to perfectly scan the document.

   

7. When the text is in focus, tap the Shutter button to scan the document.

   

8. If satisfied with the results, select Keep Scan. Select Retake if you want another scan of the document.

   

9. After scanning, select Done in the top-left corner of the screen. The notes app will save the document in PDF format.

   

10.  The scanned document is available to share and edit in your notes. You can edit the document to your preference before sharing it and scan multiple documents to keep in one file.

    

Using iScanner to Scan Documents

If you prefer to use a different app or are looking for more advanced features, you can try other applications from the Apple Store like iScanner to scan documents from your iPhone.

With over 80 million downloads, iScanner is one of the most trusted scanning apps for iOS users, allowing you to scan documents, QR codes, and measure areas. You can also edit, markup, or share high-quality scans quickly through the app. Follow these steps to scan documents using iScanner:

1. Open the iScanner app.

   

2. Select the Add icon at the bottom of the screen. A pop-up will appear with three options: Camera, Photos, and Import Files.

   

3. Select Camera.

   

4. Place the document in a well-lit part of the room on a flat surface to get a better scan.

   

5. Press the Shutter Button to start scanning. The automatic timer will scan after it captures all the document’s borders. Use the prompts on the screen to get a perfect scan of your document.

   

6. Click Done when satisfied with the scanned document.

   

7. You can save the Scanned document either as PDF, JPG, or TXT file formats.

   

   Note: While iScanner is free to use, it has a Pro version which allows you to access features such as no ads, limitless exports, and batch scanning.

Using Adobe Scan to Scan Documents

With Adobe Scan, you can quickly scan and convert documents into high-quality PDF files. The scans are saved into Adobe Document Cloud and are accessible from anywhere. After downloading the app to your iPhone, follow these steps to scan using Adobe Scan:

1. First, open the Adobe Scan app.

   

2. Sign up for an account (or log in to an existing Adobe account) and give the app access to your Camera.

   

3. Place the document you want to scan on a flat surface in a well-lit room.
4. Use the prompts on the screen to capture the borders of your document.

   

5. Click the Shutter Button to scan the document.

   

6. Adjust the scan and select Continue.

   

7. You can now edit the scanned document according to your requirements.

   

8. Tap Save PDF to save the document on your device and Adobe Document Cloud.

   

   

   Note: Adobe Scan has a Pro version that allows you to export your scans to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Other features include combining multiple files, compressing files, and protecting scanned files with a password.