Scan Documents to PDF with Your Phone
Use your phone camera as a scanner. Photograph each page, crop it to the edges of the paper, and combine the pages into one PDF. No app to install, and the photos never leave your phone.
How to scan a document to PDF
- 1Take a photo of the page. On a phone, tap Scan / Take Photo to open the camera, or Choose from Gallery for a photo you already have. On a computer, drop an image onto the box.
- 2Crop to the page. Drag the corner handles to the edges of the paper and confirm. This removes the desk, fingers, and shadows around the page.
- 3Add more pages. Tap Add another page for each extra sheet. Pages appear in a grid where you can remove any you want to retake.
- 4Create the PDF. Tap Generate PDF, then download the finished document.
Tips for a clean scan
A phone camera can match a desktop scanner if the photo is taken well:
- Put the paper on a dark, plain surface so the edges stand out
- Use daylight from a window, or room light from above, and keep your own shadow off the page
- Hold the phone directly above the page, parallel to it, rather than at an angle
- Tap the screen to focus on the text before you take the picture
- Flatten folded or curled pages with a book on the edges
What it is good for
- Signed forms and agreements that need to go back by email
- Receipts and bills for expense claims or records
- Handwritten notes, homework, and whiteboards
- ID documents and certificates for applications
- Old letters and documents you want to keep a digital copy of
Making the scan searchable
A scanned PDF contains pictures of the pages, so the words cannot be selected or searched. To get editable text from a page, take the photo through Image to Text, which recognises printed English text and lets you copy it.
After scanning
If the PDF is too large to email or upload, shrink it under the limit with Compress PDF, or remove pages you do not need. A page that came out sideways can be fixed with Rotate PDF, and scans of ID documents are worth protecting with a password before you send them.
Already have photos of all the pages and do not need to crop them? JPG to PDF combines them in one step.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install an app?
No. It works in your phone's browser and uses the camera through the Scan / Take Photo button.
Can I scan several pages into one PDF?
Yes. Add as many pages as you need, then generate one PDF containing all of them.
Do I have to crop every page?
Each page opens in the crop step. If the photo is already framed well, confirm without moving the handles.
Can I remove a page I added by mistake?
Yes. Each page in the review grid has a remove button. Retake it and it will be added at the end.
Which image types can I use?
JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, and BMP photos all work.
Are my scans uploaded?
No. Photos and the finished PDF stay on your device, which matters for IDs and signed documents.
Want more detail? Read on our blog: How to Scan Documents with Your Phone and Get a Clean, Readable PDF