- \n
- Open the\u00a0Google Drive<\/strong>\u00a0app.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tap the\u00a0plus button<\/strong>\u00a0in the lower-right corner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Select\u00a0Scan<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessyield.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/FotoJet.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- Line up the document in the viewfinder, make sure all four corners are visible and that your view is mostly flat, and press the\u00a0shutter button<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessyield.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/FotoJet-1.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- Drive allows you to review and accept or reject the photo before converting the image to PDF.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessyield.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/FotoJet-2.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOnce you\u2019ve accepted the image, you can perform the following steps to scan more pages or make edits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Add more pages to the current document (+ icon<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Re-capture any page that has been added (reload\/redo icon<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Alter the crop\/distortion correction (crop icon\u00a0<\/strong>in the upper-right corner).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Change color settings (palette icon\u00a0<\/strong>in the upper-right corner).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Delete, rotate, or rename the scan (three-dot button\u00a0<\/strong>in the upper-right corner).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Further options in the nested settings menu allow you to change paper size, orientation, and image quality, though the defaults should be fine for most situations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Once you are happy with the results, tap the checkmark in the lower-right corner. Drive asks where to save it in Google Drive and what to name it. It should be there after you tap Save in the lower-right corner. Congrats, you made a PDF with your phone\u2019s camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip: Drive can automatically correct for perspective, so you don\u2019t need to worry too much if you can\u2019t snag the perfect shot. It stretches and tweaks things to compensate on its own, though some content might end up a bit off-kilter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reasons to use the\u00a0Google Drive<\/a>\u00a0app for your PDF needs are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- It\u2019s simple and easy to use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- You probably don\u2019t need to install anything. Most phones come with it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- It syncs PDFs that it creates to Google Drive, a boon to G Suite-based productivity and cloud storage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How to scan a document on your phone with Microsoft Office Lens<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft Office Lens is one of the best ways to scan a document on Android. Whether or not you are deeply integrated into Microsoft\u2019s Office suite and services, it is fast and easy with a simple interface and all the tools you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of its perks include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Integration with Microsoft apps and services like OneNote, OneDrive, Word, and PowerPoint.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Text copy to Microsoft Word.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Simple, super-fast interface.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Works with images and photos you already have.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Scanning a document with Microsoft Office Lens<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When you launch the app, it takes you straight to the viewfinder.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessyield.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/FotoJet-3.jpg?resize=900%2C600&ssl=1\")
Left<\/strong>: Firing up the app for the first time.\u00a0Center<\/strong>: Viewfinder.\u00a0Right<\/strong>: Selecting images from the camera roll.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n The viewfinder has all the tools you need immediately accessible with just a few taps. Along the bottom of the viewfinder, below the shutter, are different modes you can switch between based on what you\u2019re scanning. You\u2019ll probably use the default Document mode, but you can quickly switch to scanning business cards, photos, and whiteboards, each of which triggers its preset modes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Above the shutter is your camera roll, offering easy access to images you captured with your camera app. Tap the images you\u2019d like to add to a document and then tap the orange arrow to the right of the shutter button (above right). You can also tap the photograph\/gallery icon to get to a file picker to navigate to images outside the camera roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019ve lined up the document in the viewfinder, an orange-red rectangle indicates a solid lock on its perspective and dimensions (which it can automatically crop and correct for). Just note that if you take photos on a grid-like background like you see pictured above, it might bug out a bit with that automatic cropping. If that happens, there is a manual crop tool, and only specific circumstances triggered any misbehavior for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Editing a scanned document in Microsoft Office Lens<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessyield.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/FotoJet-4.jpg?resize=900%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhen you have captured a page for your document, the workflow to tweak it is simple. If you need to add another page to your document, tap the\u00a0Add New<\/strong>\u00a0button, and you are taken to the viewfinder to add another image. Repeat that process as necessary with each page of the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can swipe between pages by scrolling left and right when multiple images are loaded. If you prefer to convert your documents to black and white or another look, filters are easily accessible with a quick swipe up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You will find most of the other, less frequently used options at the top of the screen. You can delete images in the current document, change their crop, rotate images, change their document type (which adjusts preset filters), make a text overlay, or draw on the document. With pinch-to-zoom working, you can add a signature or annotate if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessyield.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/FotoJet-5.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nExporting scanned documents in Microsoft Office Lens<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When you are happy with your scanned document, you\u2019re ready to export and save it. You can save it to your Android phone\u2019s gallery as a JPEG image, but there are options to save a PDF file to your phone\u2019s storage. You can also send the image to OneDrive, PowerPoint, or OneNote. Plus, documents can be imported to Microsoft Word for OCR if you prefer to convert them into text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the document has been saved in a specific format, you\u2019re shown a list of files you created in the app. From there, you can share or delete them via the three-dot menu on each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two other ways to create a PDF on your Android device that we listed below. The Google Drive app is the most convenient choice for users in a pinch, and Adobe Scan is a good tool if you live in the Acrobat ecosystem. However, if you scan documents regularly, we think you owe it to yourself to try Microsoft Office Lens. It\u2019s easily the best document-scanning solution we\u2019ve used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to use Adobe Scan to digitize files with your phone<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you need a different set of features than the Google Drive s app can provide, and you\u2019re willing to give up the deeper integration with G Suite\u2019s services, Adobe Scan is a robust alternative to old-school document scanners. Some of its advantages include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- OCR (optical character recognition), which turns scanned documents into searchable, copyable text.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Works with the images and photos you have.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Auto-capture streamlines the photo-taking process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Works with the Adobe Acrobat app for built-in signing and filling out forms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How to scan a document with Adobe Scan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Download\u00a0Adobe Scan<\/strong>\u00a0from the Google Play Store.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Open\u00a0Adobe Scan<\/strong>\u00a0and grant relevant permissions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessyield.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/FotoJet-6.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- Position your phone\u2019s camera over the scan area, ensuring the entire document is in view.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Adobe Scan automatically captures the document once it is in view.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessyield.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Screenshot-2023-08-13-at-18.11.57-526x1024.png?resize=348%2C677&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- If you\u2019d rather manually line up and capture your document, tap the\u00a0Aperture icon<\/strong>\u00a0to the left of\u00a0Auto-Capture<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Once you\u2019ve captured all the documents you want to be included in a given PDF, tap\u00a0<\/strong>the\u00a0gallery icon<\/strong>\u00a0in the lower-right corner, and it lets you review your scans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- From the review screen, you can rename the PDF (use the\u00a0text\/pencil icon<\/strong>) or use the navigation bar at the bottom to add more pages, reorder items, adjust the crop, rotate images, select color settings, or delete pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tap\u00a0Save PDF<\/strong>\u00a0in the upper-left corner when you\u2019re satisfied with your scan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How to scan documents with Samsung Galaxy<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can scan documents directly, so long as you have One UI 2 or higher. Most Galaxy phones from the past few years should have the feature, as Samsung is already rolling out One UI 4 to the Galaxy S20 and S21 series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simply launch the camera app from your Galaxy device and line it up with a document to start scanning. When you see yellow lines border the paper, select Tap to scan. You can then move the corners of the document to add or remove any unnecessary parts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you are happy with the scanned area, tap\u00a0Save.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the scan has been saved, you can view your document within the\u00a0Gallery<\/strong>\u00a0app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to scan documents with Google Pixel<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scanning a document with your Google Pixel phone is easy with Google Lens. But Pixel phones with Google Camera 7.2 or higher will also have a scanner built-in to the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open the camera app and point it at a document, and you should see the option to Scan a document near the bottom of the screen. Tap that, and you will see a white outline to specify the area you want to scan. Make any necessary adjustments and select\u00a0Save<\/strong>\u00a0to scan the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to scan a document with iPhone<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you have an iPhone with iOS 11 or above, open the\u00a0Notes<\/strong>\u00a0app, tap the\u00a0Camera\u00a0<\/strong>icon, and select\u00a0Scan Documents<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to scan a document as a PDF on an Android phone<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Download a document scanning app that supports PDF output, like Adobe Scan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Open the app, and press \u2018Scan\u2019 or \u2018Camera.\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Take a picture of your document.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Review the scan and make adjustments if needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Save the scan. Select \u2018PDF\u2019 as your preferred file type when saving.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
How to use a phone camera to scan a QR code<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Open your Camera app and tap More > Google Lens.\u00a0Now you\u2019ll have a Lens icon you can use whenever you open your camera, and it can scan QR codes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also use Google Assistant to activate Google Lens. Say \u201cOK Google,\u201d then tap Google Lens at the bottom right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recommended Articles<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- HOW TO REMOVE VIRUS FROM IPHONE: Simple & Effective Methods<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 7 Best Photo Editing Software For Mac in 2023<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to Upload Song to Spotify: The Complete Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to Fix iPhone Black Screen of Death: EASY Ways<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How To Block Websites On Google Chrome: Easy Tips<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- HOW TO TURN OFF RESTRICTIONS ON IPHONE: Easy Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
References<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Android Authority<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- 7 Best Photo Editing Software For Mac in 2023<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- HOW TO REMOVE VIRUS FROM IPHONE: Simple & Effective Methods<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tap\u00a0Save PDF<\/strong>\u00a0in the upper-left corner when you\u2019re satisfied with your scan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Once you\u2019ve captured all the documents you want to be included in a given PDF, tap\u00a0<\/strong>the\u00a0gallery icon<\/strong>\u00a0in the lower-right corner, and it lets you review your scans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- If you\u2019d rather manually line up and capture your document, tap the\u00a0Aperture icon<\/strong>\u00a0to the left of\u00a0Auto-Capture<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Open\u00a0Adobe Scan<\/strong>\u00a0and grant relevant permissions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- Download\u00a0Adobe Scan<\/strong>\u00a0from the Google Play Store.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Re-capture any page that has been added (reload\/redo icon<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add more pages to the current document (+ icon<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Drive allows you to review and accept or reject the photo before converting the image to PDF.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- Tap the\u00a0plus button<\/strong>\u00a0in the lower-right corner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n