TechTipADay

How to scan a document with your iPhone

Open Notes, start a note, tap the camera or paperclip button and choose Scan Documents. Hold the phone over the page and it captures it, cropped and straightened.

How to do it

  1. Open Notes and start a new note.

  2. Tap the camera icon if you see one. If you do not, tap the attachment button (the paperclip) and find Scan Documents.

  3. Hold the phone over the page until the shutter fires on its own, or tap the shutter.

  4. Drag the corners if the crop is wrong, then tap Save.

You can scan several pages before you save. Keep them. A single photo of a contract is harder to read and harder to forward.

Other ways to do it

  • Files app scanner Built in

    Pick it if you want the PDF saved straight into a folder or iCloud Drive.

    Stick with this tip if you want the scan inside a note with your own text around it.

  • Adobe Scan App

    Pick it if you need text recognition on the PDF and to fill in forms.

    Stick with this tip if a clean picture of the page is enough.

Questions people ask

Do I need a scanner app?

Not for everyday paperwork. Notes crops and straightens the page, and you can share the scan as a PDF.

Can I scan several pages into one file?

Yes. Keep scanning before you tap Save and they stay together.

Can the Files app scan too?

Yes. In Files, tap the three dots and choose Scan Documents to save straight to a folder.

Find more by task

Related tips