Thanks to today's advancements in technology, you no longer need to pay for a scanner if you want to scan documents daily because the camera in your smartphone can do it for you. Apple is known to offer easier ways to get things done if you plan to do so on your iPhone.
Now for the good news! Yes, you can easily scan a document on your iPhone, no matter how old it is. All you need is your iPhone with a working camera and you're ready to go.
Document scanner for iPhone - built-in solution in iOS
There are currently no free document scanning apps in the App Store. Therefore, Apple developers implemented a built-in scanner in smartphones running the iOS 11 operating system. In this version, files could be scanned through the Notes application. In iOS 13, this option is available right in the Files menu.
What can you do with a scanned document?
The system helps not only scan a document, but also edit it later. You can edit directly in the device gallery. Changing the snapshot is as follows:
- Rotating, cropping a photo;
- Application of various filters provided by the system. There are different filters, ranging from color to black and white;
- Changing the brightness and exposure of the photo.
Also, the resulting scan can be translated into various convenient formats, and also transferred to other users using the “Share” button. The photo can be printed and saved in any convenient service.
You can also easily leave comments on scans and highlight the signature in the desired color. Markers, felt-tip pens and other tools are available to highlight the necessary information directly on the photo. Some people use the iPhone as a notebook with notes, since all documents can be saved in a convenient application cloud. Everything the user needs for further work is in the iPhone system settings. This makes it easier to work with files and important documents.
Vyacheslav
For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.
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Question to the expert
Do you need to download any applications to edit documents?
No. As a rule, the system’s functionality is enough to edit a document, add some inscription, change the color. If you plan to do more complex work, then you won’t be able to do it without third-party applications.
Is this feature available on all iOS systems?
Yes! The company has added a scanner feature to all of its systems and phones. It's in your phone notes.
What to do if the scan does not work correctly?
Make sure that this is not a problem in the phone itself. It may be that the phone itself is simply not working correctly. In this case, you need to contact for repairs. If the problem is not with the phone, but with a system error, then you need to contact technical support.
Is it possible to sign something on a scan?
Yes. With the new update to iOS 11, the function of signing documents has appeared. Now you can draw on the document itself and make notes in various ways. There is no need to download additional applications, since everything is included in the standard ones.
Where is the scan saved?
The scan is saved in the phone's notes. You can also configure the path where the scanned document will be saved. In the settings you can change the path to the cloud, gallery or other convenient places for the user.
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Scanning documents on an iPhone - why is it necessary?
The mobile scanner allows you to create and send documents to any device without the need for third-party software. This is a simple and convenient option that can be useful to every user in everyday life. It has many advantages:
- Scanning does not require additional devices or third-party software.
- During the shooting process, the program imitates the functions of a real scanner, using digital intelligent image processing rather than a flash.
- The mobile scanner independently trims edges, removes shadows and other disturbing elements.
Important! All documents are ultimately saved in the required format, just like on a regular scanner.
How is scanning different from photography?
Scanning differs from regular photography in that scanning can remove various defects in a photograph. You can call this a multi-stage system, where the first step is to take a frame, print it, and then make a scan and edit it in the program.
Scanning is a more convenient way to correct any photo. On the iPhone, the built-in scan function is an indispensable thing for most people. You can scan not only ordinary photographs, but also notes and documents. Scanning helps to digitally process the image, that is, remove unnecessary shadows, cut out a certain fragment, remove defects.
Scanning also differs from regular photography in that:
- The scan has a lower resolution than the original photograph;
- The scan can always be corrected even on the go. You can't do this with a regular photograph;
- The scanned frame can be edited and sometimes made even better than the original.
As a conclusion, we can say that the scan is the second stage in the development of photography. Thanks to it, you can qualitatively process a photo, edit it and make it better.
Scanning documents on an iPhone - step-by-step instructions
To scan a file using an iPhone, you need to do the following:
- Go to the "Files" menu.
- Click on the “Browse” button, which is located at the bottom of the screen.
- Find the button with three dots at the top and click on it.
- A window will appear on the screen in which you need to select the “Scan documents” option.
- Now you just need to point your smartphone camera at the document, and it will automatically scan it in the required format.
- If the user needs to scan additional pages, the above steps must be repeated.
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After saving the file, the user can edit it, select the desired size, save it in any folder, and send it to other users.
Using the Continuity Camera feature
Both iOS and MacOS have a built-in feature called Continuity Camera, which allows you to control the camera on your mobile device directly from your MacBook. You can also quickly transfer scanned images directly from your device to a file on your computer.
Continuity Camera works with native apps such as Notes, Mail, Messages, TextEdit, Keynote 8.2, Numbers 5.2, Pages 7.2 and later. The option is available starting from OS Mojave and iOS 12.
To use Continuity Camera, make sure your Mac and iPhone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and have Bluetooth turned on. Make sure both devices are connected to the same iCloud account with two-factor authentication enabled.
Here's how to scan from iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur using TextEdit:
- Open any of the supported applications on your MacBook. Right-click and select Scan from the menu that appears.
- You can also access this feature by clicking File - Paste from iPhone in the menu bar.
- Point your iPhone camera lens at the page and wait until scanning is complete. Adjust the camera position to fit the sheet or crop only the part of the image you want by dragging the corners. Then click Continue Scan.
- Repeat the process to add additional digitized images, or click “Save” to finish.
Done – the document will appear on the MacBook screen.
How to scan files using the Notes menu
To scan a file from the Notes menu, do the following:
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- Open the application and click on the create a new note icon.
- Click on the plus button.
- A pop-up window will appear on the screen in which the user will need to select the “Scan documents” section.
- After opening the camera, you need to point your smartphone at the selected file.
Why track iPhone and how you can do it
To make a high-quality scan, iPhone users do not need to select filters and lighting themselves - the built-in scanner will do this automatically.
Important! After shooting, the user can independently determine the boundaries of the new document (cropping, adjustments). When the file is ready, all you have to do is click on the “Save” button.
#3. Scanner app: PDF Document Scan
For easy scanning, saving and sharing of documents, you can't go wrong with iScanner. With wide compatibility, the app ensures that you can scan a variety of things including faxes, paper notes, receipts and more. As for the scanning quality, it is at par. Moreover, the application allows you to select one of three scanning qualities: low, medium and HD.
Another feature that makes iScanner a really useful tool is the ability to save your scans as multi-page JPEG images and PDF files. Ideal for when you have to process tons of scans and keep them organized. Not only that, but the app is also quite good in terms of turning images into text using optical character recognition technology.
Price: Free (in-app purchases start at $3.99)
#6. CamScanner-PDF Scanner App
CamScanner, which claims to have excellent scanning quality, deserves a mention in this review. The document scanner is fully equipped to allow you to scan bills, receipts, notes, business cards and more with the clarity you desire. It comes with automatic enhancement and cropping features that keep text and graphics sharp.
With an electronic signature, you can sign documents conveniently. And if you ever want to give your documents a nice look, annotation tools can come into play. What's more, CamScanner also allows you to add custom watermarks so that your documents can remain secure online. With AirPrint support, you can print your documents easily.
Price: Free (in-game purchases start at $0.99)
Problems and solutions
What to do if the matrix combination is not readable? There are several reasons for this:
- - working QR code . The link may no longer be relevant, “move” to another site, or no longer exist. To make sure of this, try scanning the code in a different way through applications or the Google Chrome browser (how to do this is written above);
- Barcode scanning . Barcode and QR code are not the same thing at all. In simple words, a barcode is a barcode on a product with parallel vertical lines with a set of numbers. And what the article is talking about is an optical mark consisting of black squares and a “pattern” of different elements. In some cases, the code may display a company or brand logo.
- Availability of the Internet . If this is a link to a website or a picture, then you cannot do without connecting to the network;
- Blurred QR . Try to find a clearer picture of the combination.
Whatever method you use for reading QR codes on your iPhone, you’ll soon get used to it. There is no need to manually enter links, open applications, copy messages, launch the navigator and other actions. There are even special tags that you can buy and stick in your home, and then assign certain actions to them, for example, quickly launch a game or call your mother, go to the website. But for those who don’t know, these same actions can be performed using “ Short Commands on iPhone ,” which is described in a separate article.
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Free scanner with cloud integration “Document Scanner”
An equally nice utility from a domestic developer has more advanced capabilities, and is also distributed free of charge and does not require purchases or subscriptions.
In addition to the banal automatic scanning capabilities, there is forced activation of the flash, enabling or disabling camera autofocus.
The finished PDF document can be protected with a password, signed, or applied color filters.
Topic: How to sign documents or photos on iPhone
In the utility parameters you will find integration with the most popular cloud services; for some reason the developer was unable to connect the application with iCloud.
