Gone are the days when you needed a bulky scanner to digitize your documents. With modern smartphones, you can quickly scan documents, receipts, business cards, and more—right from your device. This guide will walk you through the best ways to scan a document using both Android and iPhone.
Step 1: Choose the Right Scanning App
Most smartphones come with built-in scanning features, but you can also use third-party apps for additional features.
✔ Best Scanning Apps:
- Google Drive (Android & iOS) – Free and built-in for Android users
- Apple Notes (iOS) – Default scanner for iPhone users
- Microsoft Lens (Android & iOS) – Excellent for text recognition (OCR)
- Adobe Scan (Android & iOS) – Great for auto-enhancements
- CamScanner (Android & iOS) – Advanced features but requires a subscription
🔹 Tip: If you need text recognition (OCR), Microsoft Lens and Adobe Scan are great choices.
Step 2: Scan a Document Using Your Phone’s Built-in Features
For Android (Google Drive Scanner):
- Open the Google Drive app.
- Tap the + (Add) button and select Scan.
- Capture the document using your camera.
- Adjust the corners and enhance the scan if needed.
- Save the file as PDF or JPEG.
For iPhone (Apple Notes Scanner):
- Open the Notes app.
- Tap the Create New Note button.
- Press the Camera icon and choose Scan Documents.
- Position the document, and it will automatically be scanned.
- Adjust, crop, and save the scan as a PDF or attach it to an email.
🔹 Tip: Make sure to place the document on a flat, well-lit surface for the best results.
Step 3: Enhance & Edit Your Scanned Document
Once the document is scanned, you can enhance the quality using editing tools:
✔ Adjust Brightness & Contrast – Improves readability.
✔ Crop & Rotate – Removes unnecessary parts.
✔ Apply Filters – Makes text clearer.
✔ Use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) – Converts scanned text into editable text.
🔹 Tip: Adobe Scan and Microsoft Lens have built-in OCR for extracting text.
Step 4: Save & Share the Scanned Document
After scanning, you can save or share the document:
✔ Save as PDF – Best for official documents.
✔ Upload to Cloud Storage – Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive.
✔ Send via Email or Messaging Apps – Gmail, WhatsApp, Telegram.
🔹 Tip: If the document is confidential, consider encrypting it before sharing.
Final Thoughts
Scanning documents with your phone is fast, easy, and convenient. Whether you’re using Google Drive, Apple Notes, or a third-party app, follow these steps to get high-quality scans every time. With OCR, you can even turn scanned documents into editable text, making it easier to store and share important information.