How To Scan Documents On iPhone (No Third-Party Apps Needed), by Trevor Nace on YouTube. 2 min 52 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 52 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open the Notes app and start a new note, or open an existing one where you want the scan to live.
Tap the paper clip camera icon above the keyboard, then choose Scan Documents from the menu.
Hold the phone over the page. The camera frames the page and captures it on its own, or tap the shutter button.
Drag the four corner handles so they sit on the edges of the paper, then tap Keep Scan.
Tap Save to drop the scan into the note. To make a PDF, tap the scan, tap the share icon and choose Save to Files.
For a PDF saved straight to a folder, open the Files app and go to the folder you want.
Tap the three-dot More button at the top, choose Scan Document, capture the page and tap Save.
Rename the file by touching and holding it, then choosing Rename, so you can find it later.
To find it again, open Files and use the search bar, or reopen the note in Notes and tap the scan.
Tips and common mistakes
Lay the page flat and smooth out creases so the edges are easy to detect.
Use even, bright light and keep your own shadow out of the frame.
Use Files rather than Notes when you plan to email or print the PDF, since it saves into a folder.
You can capture several pages in one session and keep them together as a single PDF.
Questions
Do I need to download a scanner app?
No. The scanner is built into the Notes and Files apps that already come with your iPhone.
Is the scan saved as a PDF?
Yes. The scan is a PDF file, which you can share, email, print or store in a folder.
Where does the scan go after I save it?
In Notes it sits inside the note you scanned into. In Files it lands in the folder you had open when you started the scan.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
