How to Scan a Document (iPhone, Android, or Printer)

The fastest way to scan a document is with the phone you already own. On iPhone, open Notes → new note → camera icon → Scan Documents; on Android, open Google Drive → + → Scan. Both detect the page edges, straighten the image, and save a PDF for free — no scanner required.

Which scanning method should you use?

Method 1: Scan a document on iPhone

The iPhone scanner is the one most people need — it does auto edge detection, perspective correction, and contrast cleanup with no extra app.

Scan with the Notes app

1. Open the Notes app and tap the new note icon (square and pencil).
2. Tap the camera icon above the keyboard, then Scan Documents.
3. Point the camera at the page. Notes auto-detects the edges and captures; if it doesn’t, tap the shutter button.
4. Drag the corners to fix the crop, then tap Keep Scan.
5. Scan any additional pages — they’re added to the same document — then tap Save.
6. Tap the scan, tap the share icon, then choose Save to Files to export a PDF or Mail to send it.

Scan straight to the Files app

If you want a PDF file rather than a note:

1. Open Files and go into the folder where the scan should live.
2. Tap … (top right) → Scan Documents.
3. Scan the pages, adjust each crop, then tap Save. The PDF appears in that folder.

Method 2: Scan a document on Android

Scan with Google Drive

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. Tap + → Scan.
3. Frame the page — Drive auto-crops it. Tap the flash icon if the room is dim.
4. Tap the shutter, adjust the crop, then tap the checkmark to add more pages.
5. Tap Save. The PDF is uploaded to your Drive.

Capture text with Google Lens

Google Lens pulls text out of a page rather than filing a clean PDF: open the Google app, point at the text, and choose Text to copy it. For anything you’ll keep or print, use Drive’s scan instead.

Method 3: Scan a document on Windows

Windows Scan (Microsoft Store app)

1. Install Windows Scan from the Microsoft Store if you don’t have it.
2. Open it and choose your device from the Scanner dropdown.
3. Pick a Profile (Document or Photo) and a File type (PDF, JPEG, or PNG).
4. Set Source to Flatbed or Feeder. For a feeder, set the page size and number of pages.
5. Click Preview, adjust the crop and brightness, then click Scan.
6. Click Save and pick where the PDF goes.

Windows Fax and Scan (built in)

Windows Fax and Scan ships with Windows and handles flatbed and feeder scanning.

1. Click Start, type Fax and Scan, and open it.
2. Click New Scan, then choose the scanner.
3. Set Profile, Color format, Resolution (300 dpi for documents), and File type: PDF.
4. Click Preview to check the crop, then Scan, and save the file.

Flatbed scanner steps (any printer)

1. Lift the lid and place the page face down, aligned to the corner guide marked with an arrow.
2. Close the lid and press gently so the page lies flat.
3. On the printer’s screen choose Scan → Scan to Computer or Scan to PDF, or start the scan from the printer’s desktop software.
4. Choose PDF and 300 dpi, then start the scan.
5. Save to your computer or use Scan to Email if the printer supports it.

Method 4: Scan a document on Mac

Use your iPhone as a scanner (Continuity Camera)

With a Mac and an iPhone on the same Apple ID, the Mac can use the iPhone camera as a scanner — no cable, no setup.

1. Open Preview (or Notes).
2. Choose File → Import from iPhone or iPad → Scan Documents.
3. The iPhone camera opens; scan and crop the pages there.
4. Tap Save, and the scan drops into Preview as a PDF.

If the option is greyed out, make sure both devices share an Apple ID and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on.

Scan with Image Capture or a flatbed

1. Connect the scanner by USB or network, then open Image Capture (Applications → Image Capture).
2. Select the scanner in the left sidebar.
3. Choose Scan Mode (Flatbed), Kind (Color, Greyscale, or Black & White), Resolution, and Size.
4. Under Scan To, choose PDF and a destination folder.
5. Click Scan.

Get a cleaner scan

• Lighting. Use even, bright light, and let the phone flash handle dim rooms. Avoid a lamp directly behind you — it reflects as glare.
• Flatten the page. Curled pages cast shadows and distort text. Smooth the page down, or press it flat under the scanner lid.
• Fill the frame. Move close enough that the page fills the viewfinder — more pixels on the page means sharper text.

Turn the scan into searchable, editable text

A scan is just a picture of a page, so the text isn’t selectable or searchable. Optical character recognition (OCR) reads the image and adds a text layer — see how to edit a PDF for the full workflow.

• Free: Adobe’s online OCR PDF tool adds a searchable text layer.
• Paid: Sejda’s OCR feature requires a paid plan.
• If you need to edit the words themselves, OCR first and then convert the PDF to Word.
• If the scan needs a signature, see how to sign a PDF.

Common scanning mistakes to avoid

• Glare. A shiny page under a lamp shows a bright blob that hides text. Move the light to the side or tilt the page slightly.
• Crooked or cut-off pages. Check the crop before saving. Let the auto-detect do the work, then nudge the corners if a margin is missing.
• Scanning everything at 600 dpi. It wastes space and makes files too big to email. Drop to 150–300 dpi and, if the PDF is still heavy, reduce the PDF size.
• Using pure black-and-white for faint text. Bitonal mode can drop light print. Choose greyscale for faded ink and colour for stamps or photos.

FAQ

Can I scan a document for free?

Yes. The iPhone Notes/Files scanner, Google Drive’s scan, Windows Scan, and macOS Preview/Image Capture are all free, and all save PDFs.

Do I need a scanner to scan a document?

No. A phone camera plus the built-in scan features produces a clean, straightened PDF. Use a flatbed only when you need high resolution or many pages fast.

How do I scan multiple pages into one PDF?

In the iPhone Notes scanner and Google Drive scan, keep capturing before you save — each page is added to the same PDF. On a flatbed, add each page to the same document, or use the feeder if the printer has one.

How do I make a scanned document editable?

Run OCR to add a text layer, then open the file in a PDF editor. Adobe’s online OCR is free; Sejda’s OCR is a paid feature. For Word editing, convert the PDF to Word after OCR.

Why is my scan blurry?

Usually too little light, camera shake, or a curled page. Hold steady, use even lighting, keep the page flat, and fill the frame before capturing.