How to Scan a Document Using Your iPhone (Step-By-Step) 

Submitted by Nolan Fowler on Fri, 12/02/2022 - 07:13

“How do I scan a document using my iPhone?”  

Scanning documents is something we all need to do at some point in our lives. It could be scanning your social security card for a new job you’re getting, scanning your driver’s license for proof of identity or simply scanning an important document to keep in your records. 

Nowadays, one of the most common ways of scanning a document is with your iPhone. Most of us have smartphones now, and because we all likely will need to scan a document at some point, it’s important that you know how to do it. 

Scanning documents with an iPhone is one of the most common consumer questions related to our industry, which is the world of office printing equipment. 

We’ve been in the printer/copier industry for almost 40 years and have written hundreds of blogs about the most pertinent topics in the printing world.  

Our goal is to help every reader that comes to our website with honest and accurate information. Whether you need a simple answer on how to scan a document with an iPhone or you need a new printer for your office, our values revolve around assisting you. 

With that as the backdrop, let’s get to what you came here for. This blog will cover why scanning is important, step-by-step instructions on how to scan with an iPhone and a list of scanner apps you can download for your iPhone from the App Store. 

Why Would You Need to Scan a Document? 

As mentioned in the introduction, scanning documents is something we will all do at some point in our lives. 

Whether it’s in the office setting or for personal reasons, knowing how and when to scan a document is critical and sometimes required to maintain optimal record-keeping. 

We’re going to go over the “how” in the next section, but let’s briefly touch on the areas where scanning a document is essential. Scanning, in both digital and physical format, is used primarily to keep records of essential documents or used as proof of identity or residence. 

Some of the scenarios where you would need to scan a document would be for employment, medical, educational or personal reasons. 

Scanning has been around for a long time, and just like the world at large, has gone increasingly toward the digital space in recent years. 

The good thing about the transition to the digital age is you may no longer need an all-in-one or multifunction printer to scan a document anymore.  

That last point perfectly segues us into the next section: How do you scan a document using your iPhone? 

Instructions on How to Scan a Document Using Your iPhone 

The easiest way to scan a document using your iPhone is through the pre-installed “Notes” app you will likely find on your home screen. 

Courtesy of Apple, here are the five steps to scanning a document on your iPhone: 

  1. Open Notes and select a note or create a new one. 

  1. Tap the Camera button Tap Camera button to start scanning a document in Notes, then tap Scan Documents Scan document icon

  1. Place your document in view of the camera. 

  1. If your device is in Auto mode, your document will automatically scan. If you need to manually capture a scan, tap the Shutter button  or one of the Volume buttons. Then drag the corners to adjust the scan to fit the page, then tap Keep Scan.  

  2. Tap Save or add additional scans to the document. 

After scanning your document, you can adjust the corners to fit the document how you want it, change the color scheme of the document, rotate it or add more pages. After you click save, the finished scanned document should be in your notes. 

Example of what cropping a scanned document looks like on an iPhone, courtesy of Apple: 

Once you’ve scanned the document, you can then share it just like you would with a picture. You simply click on the “Share” icon in the top right corner of the document and choose where you want to share it.  

A couple of helpful notes when scanning from an iPhone: 

  • When using the crop tool, place your finger near the small circle located on each corner of the document. This will let you view your adjustments more clearly. 

  • You can also sign and annotate the scanned document if required. To sign a document, you click on the “Share” icon, click on “Markup” and hit the small “+” sign at the bottom right of the screen. After that, you will hit “Signature,” sign it, adjust the size of the box and place it where you want on the document. 

These are the steps to follow if you are scanning a document on an iPhone, but if you’re scanning a document using a printer, you will follow different steps that depend on where you want to scan to. Read our blog on how to scan a document on a printer to learn more. 

Best Scanner Apps for iPhone 

Using the “Notes” app is typically the easiest way to scan a document using an iPhone. 

However, there are multiple other scanner applications you can download from the App Store on your iPhone if you would like to use another app for scanning.  

Some of the main scanner apps for the iPhone include: 

  • Adobe Scan 

  • Microsoft Office Lens 

  • CamScanner 

  • SwiftScan 

  • OCR Scanner  

  • Evernote Scannable  

  • FineScanner 

  • Doc Scanner 

  • FP Scanner 

Most of these will have a free version you can download that gives you simple scanning, but there are options to upgrade if you would like to get more out of the app. 

It will depend on the app but some of the premium features you get with paid versions are the ability to take multiple scans and combine them into one cohesive document, or to export PDFs to Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. 

Some premium versions will also do things like remove watermarks, search text or password-protect your scanned documents so that they are more secure.  

If you just need to scan documents on an as-needed basis, there probably isn’t a need to buy or download one of these apps: The pre-installed “Notes” should be able to do the trick. 

However, if you regularly scan documents with your iPhone, it may be worth looking into one of the scanner apps listed in the App Store. They will be able to offer more document-quality features than the “Notes” app. 

Want Step-By-Step Instructions on How to Print From Your Phone? 

Scanning documents is a major part of both our personal and professional lives, and smartphones are the primary way of completing the scanning process in today’s modern age. 

With the instructions above, you should feel confident the next time you need to scan a document with your iPhone. Once you figure it out the first time, it’s usually a quick and seamless process from there. 

As a long-time print vendor, we strive to be the go-to resource in everything related to printing, copying, scanning, faxing, etc. These daily tasks seem easy at first, but when you actually get to completing the task, it can be more difficult than it appears. 

Take printing from your phone, for example: Would you know how to print from your phone if you need to? 

If you need to scan a document from your phone, it is likely, if you haven’t already, that you will also need to print from your phone at some point. 

Just like scanning a document on your phone can be a learning process at first, so, too, can printing from your phone the first time. 

Read our blog on how to print from your phone for step-by-step instructions and details on the apps you can use when printing from your mobile device.