To scan a document on iPhone, open Notes, start a note, tap the Attachment (paperclip) button and choose Scan Documents. Hold the page in view and your iPhone captures it automatically, or tap the Shutter button. Drag the corners to fit, tap Keep Scan, then Done, and the scan is saved as a PDF in the note.
Signed contracts, receipts for your accountant, a client's handwritten brief: you don't need a scanner for any of them. The Notes app and the Files app both have a document scanner built in, and it flattens the page, trims the edges and saves a PDF you can send straight away.
Scanning into Notes
- Open Notes and open a note or create a new one.
- Tap the Attachment button (the paperclip), then tap Scan Documents.
- Hold your iPhone over the page so the whole document is in view.
- If Auto mode is on, the page is captured on its own. Otherwise tap the Shutter button or press either Volume button.
- Drag the corners so the frame fits the page, then tap Keep Scan.
- Scan more pages if you need to, then tap Done.
Apple's guide says the scan is saved as a PDF inside the note. In an open note you can also tap the More button and choose Scan, which is quicker if the paperclip is hidden by the keyboard.
Scanning straight into the Files app
If you'd rather the PDF lived in a folder than a note, use Files:
- Open the Files app and tap the More button.
- Tap Scan Documents.
- Capture the page in the same way as above, then tap Keep Scan.
- Tap Done, choose where to save it, then tap Save.
This is my preferred route for anything that needs filing. You can save it straight into an iCloud Drive folder that you share with a bookkeeper or a virtual assistant, and there's no extra step of exporting it from Notes.
Notes or Files: which to pick
| Need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quick receipt or reference copy | Notes | Saved as a PDF in a note you can search later |
| A document to file or share in a folder | Files | You choose the folder before you save |
| Signing a document | Notes | Markup lets you add a saved signature |
| Copying the words, not the image | Notes, with Scan Text | Inserts the text itself into your note |
Automatic or manual capture
By default the scanner waits until it spots the edges of the page and then takes the shot itself. Apple's tip is simply to keep your iPhone steady. If it keeps snapping before you're ready, or it can't find the edges on a busy desk, switch to manual: tap the button showing automatic capture is on, then tap the Take Picture button yourself. You'll get Retake and Keep options after each shot.
On recent versions of iOS you can also choose flash or an image filter before you capture, which helps with faded print or a page with a coloured background.
Signing a scanned document
This is the feature that makes the scanner useful for contracts and forms:
- Open the note and tap the scanned document.
- Tap the Markup button.
- Tap the Add button, then Signature.
- Pick a saved signature or create a new one, then resize the box and drag it into place.
- Tap Done.
If you'd rather sign by hand, open Markup, choose a pen tool and sign with your finger.
When you want the words, not a picture of them
A scan gives you an image of the page inside a PDF. If what you need is the text itself, say a quote from a printed article or the action points from a whiteboard, use Scan Text instead. In a note, tap the Attachments button, tap Scan Text, point the camera at the words, select the bit you want and tap Insert. Apple says this works in supported languages.
The catch: lighting and edges matter more than the camera
Apple says auto capture works by detecting the page boundaries, so anything that hides the edges makes life harder for it. In my own experience, poor scans usually come down to shadows and a page that blends into the table. My habit is to put the page on a darker surface, keep my shadow off it, and use the corner handles to tighten the crop before I tap Keep Scan. That's my personal routine rather than Apple's advice, but it's worked well for me.
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Sending your scan
Once it's saved, open the PDF, tap the Share button and send it by Mail, Messages or AirDrop, or save a copy to a shared folder. For anything with personal details on it, a shared folder with the right people is usually safer than email.
It's also worth naming the file as soon as you save it. A folder full of documents called "Scanned Document" is no use six months later when you're hunting for one receipt. I use the date, the client and the document type, and I keep it the same every time so a search in Files finds it in seconds.
What I'd do
Use Files for anything you'll need to find again and Notes for quick reference copies. Set up your signature once in Markup and you'll never print, sign and scan a contract again. If someone insists on a fax, my guide on faxing from your iPhone picks up where this one ends, and if the scan is heading into a sensitive client file, here's how password protecting a Word document works.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the document scanner on iPhone?
It's in the Notes app, under the Attachment button, and in the Files app, under the More button.
What format are iPhone scans saved in?
Apple says a scanned document is saved as a PDF in the note. In Files you choose where to save it.
Can I scan more than one page into the same document?
Yes. Keep scanning pages before you tap Done and they're added to one document.
Can I sign a scanned document on iPhone?
Yes. Open the scan in Notes, tap Markup, tap Add, then Signature.
Why won't my iPhone scan automatically?
Auto capture needs to detect the page edges. Hold the phone steady, use a contrasting surface, or switch to manual capture.
