While the digital age has been heavily thrust upon us over the past several years, paper documentation still manages to cling desperately to relevance. Whether it’s mail, contractual agreements, bills, or any other loose-leaf documents, most people wish they could instantly scan these items and store them digitally without the need to save the paper they were printed on. What if I told you that you actually might be carrying the very tool you need to do just that in your pocket or purse? The phone is a versatile device, even if you never stopped to think of it as a portable scanner.

For years, private offices and commercial businesses have taken up real estate with clunky scanners to save digital files. In some instances, scanners that can take a stack of papers and automatically sift through them all in seconds are ideal. But for the average person who is looking to simply scan receipts, images, or other documents, a separate scanning machine isn’t really necessary. Believe it or not, your smartphone can capture documents and even refine the perspective and readability. Smartphones can also save these files as PDFs fairly simply and without the need for dedicated software.

Both iOS and Android phones are actually equipped with both the tools and software needed to scan documents into your phone. You just have to know where to look. Thankfully, we’re here to show you the way.

iPhone

If you’re an iPhone user, you simply need to open your Notes app. You can add a document to an existing note or create an entirely new note to save a document in. Simply tap the paperclip attachment button and then tap Scan Documents. Then hover your iPhone camera over the document. When the app detects the full document, it will highlight it. Then hit the shutter button. Then tap the checkmark button in the upper right-hand corner.

If you need to sign a document, you can do this with the same Notes app. After scanning the document, tap the Markup button that looks like a little pen or marker. You can tap the + button and then add a pre-saved signature. You can also create a new signature or manually sign.

Android

With Android phones, you can use the Google Drive app to get the job done. Launch your Google Drive app. You can then either tap the Camera icon button or the + button and select “Scan.” Hover your camera over the document. Once it highlights, you will be able to capture it with the shutter button. Keep in mind that you can adjust or crop the borders of the image.

Once you’re ready to proceed with your scanned image, press Next. On the following screen, you can change the file name if you wish and select whether you want it in PDF or an image format. You can also select to save it directly to your Google Drive.

Of course, there are dedicated apps that you can also use outside of Notes or Google Drive. Adobe Scan is one great option if you wish to go a different route. Also, some phones have an option within the camera app to scan a document and convert it to PDF.

Get the best scans with these tips

With the right framing, scans from your phone can look professional

Credit: Pocket-lint

Don’t simply rely on the app to do all the heavy lifting. The one benefit of a dedicated scanner is that it maximizes the sharpness and clarity of the image output. It’s up to you to do that yourself when managing the process with a phone. With that said, Tip #1 is to use good lighting. Natural lighting or overhead lighting can eliminate shadows and glare. Make sure your own shadow isn’t in the image, either. Tip #2 is all about contrast. Your phone’s app can identify documents more easily when there is a heavy contrast between the document and the surface it’s sitting on. Since most documents are white, place the paper on a darker surface such as a wood table.

Now, you need to ensure that the document itself is presented well. Tip #3: Make sure that the document is as flat as can possibly be to avoid waves in the scan. The last thing you want is for the image to look distorted. Tip #4 is to always double-check your results before saving. You can’t simply tell from the small image of your document in the lower corner of your phone whether a piece of debris, an annoying fly, or a lighting glare affected the outcome. Pull it up and look at it to make sure it’s what you really wanted.

The Notes and Google Drive apps might be the first go-to for quick scans, but they’re thin on features. Consider apps like the aforementioned Adobe Scan if you’re looking for more options. Regardless, remember that your phone has this easy capability. So next time you’re at a parent-teacher conference or a convention and see a flyer, scan it in instead of having to carry around another piece of paper that you’ll ultimately pitch into the wastebasket. It’s also an easy way to send documents to your friends. While a dedicated scanner might still have a purpose in a home office, your phone has the benefit of portability and just might have everything you need.

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