Digitally signing crucial papers is quite simple these days, but sometimes you only need to sign a paper document and scan it to send it by email. If all you need to do is sign a paper document and submit it digitally and you don’t have a separate scanner on hand, the simplest way to do this is to use your iPhone to convert photos to PDFs.
Yes, you can use your iPhone as a document scanner. Even when the phone is positioned at strange angles in an attempt to capture text, it performs a reasonable job, albeit it may not create photographs as crisp as a specialized scanner. Since iOS 11 was released in 2017, iPhones have had this secret capability. However, as Apple phones’ built-in cameras have become better, so has their capacity to scan documents accurately and convert them into emailable PDFs.
You won’t have to purchase a third-party program or download extra software since Apple’s Notes app, which is preloaded on iPhones, works just fine. The good news is that scanning a document, saving it, and sending it to the appropriate location is fast and simple. As we’ve said below, the icons you use to choose document scanning have changed in the latest version of iOS 18. The procedure will be altered if you’ve updated to iOS 18, but we’ll still guide you through it.
Use your iPad or iPhone to scan a document.
Put the paper on a level surface in a well-lit location before using your iPhone or iPad to scan it.
Launch the Notes app, then hit the New Note button (pencil-in-square icon) in the lower right corner to begin a new note or access an existing one. Tap the Camera button at the bottom of the screen (or the same Camera symbol above the keyboard if you’re composing a note) on iOS 17 and later, then choose Scan Documents. If you’re using iOS 18, you’ll touch the Attachments button (the paperclip icon) and Scan Documents in place of the Camera icon.
This will launch a document-only version of the Camera app. A yellow rectangular overlay that roughly depicts what will be taken will immediately emerge over the document as you place your iPhone over it and in front of the camera. The iPhone should automatically capture and scan the paper if you hover over it for a few seconds. Alternatively, you may hit the Shutter button in the lower center.
Sign your scanned document, distribute it, or save it.
Before saving a document, you may change it by tapping on it and any other documents you’ve taken during the same session. To restart, you may also hit Retake in the upper right corner.
You may change the color filters (color, black and white, grayscale, or the unedited original picture) and re-crop the document from the original photo if you need to adjust its edges. The scanned document may then be saved.
After saving it as a note, you may draw or doodle with various colors by tapping the Markup button (circled pen symbol) at the bottom. You may add text, your signature, shapes, or even stickers by tapping the Add button (+ sign symbol) in the lower right corner.
You may copy the document, save it locally to the Files app, print it off using a connected printer, or transfer it via Messages other applications by tapping the Share button (the square-and-arrow symbol) at the top.
How to convert a scanned document to a PDF for export
It seems sense that you would wish to deliver your scanned document in PDF format. To access the extra list of choices, tap the Share button (the square-and-arrow symbol) at the top and scroll down below the contact and app roulettes.
The simplest method for sending your scanned document as a PDF is a little complicated: choose Print from the list above, then select the Share button (square-and-arrow symbol) at the top again to share your PDF-converted document. Next, choose your preferred sharing option. Email is the easiest, but you can also upload it to cloud storage or send it over text message if you’d like.
If you would like, you may also convert your document to PDF using a third-party program. To locate your preferred app, scroll down beyond the Print button. For example, you may choose Convert to PDF in Acrobat if you have the Adobe Acrobat software installed on your device, but you will have to go through many windows that try to upsell you on Adobe memberships first.
Why am I unable to locate the camera button for document scanning?
An Attachments button (paperclip symbol) has taken the place of the Camera button if you’re on iOS 18. It ought to work exactly the same way: Select Scan Documents from the drop-down menu by tapping it.
You can only scan and save documents in the iCloud or On My iPhone sections, so if you can’t see the Camera or Attachments buttons, make sure you’ve accessed the note in one of these locations. If you are unsure, choose either iCloud or On My iPhone by tapping Folders in the upper left corner of the Notes page.
The document scanner is only one of several hidden functions that are preinstalled on Apple phones and are often hidden inside the phone’s applications. Your iPhone already has even more unexpected capabilities thanks to several hidden iOS 18 features. However, you may also use third-party applications and your browser to do additional activities, such as creating a GIF on your iPhone.