Scanning a document to PDF used to require a bulky scanner and dedicated software. Today your phone does it better — modern phone cameras produce sharper scans than many dedicated scanners, and the built-in apps on iPhone and Android save directly to PDF. Here is how to do it on every device.
How to scan to PDF on iPhone
iPhone has a built-in scanner in the Notes app and Files app — no third-party app needed.
Using the Notes app (iOS 11 and later):
- Open the Notes app and create a new note.
- Tap the camera icon above the keyboard → Scan Documents.
- Hold your phone over the document — it scans automatically.
- Scan additional pages if needed, then tap Save.
- Tap the scan in your note → Share → Save to Files → choose PDF format.
Using the Files app:
- Open the Files app.
- Tap the three dots menu in the top right → Scan Documents.
- Scan your pages and tap Save. The PDF saves directly to Files.
How to scan to PDF on Android
Google Drive has a built-in scanner available on all Android phones.
- Open the Google Drive app.
- Tap the + button → Scan.
- Point your camera at the document — Drive auto-detects edges and captures.
- Add more pages with the + button or tap Done.
- The scan saves as a PDF in your Drive automatically.
Samsung phones also have a built-in scanner in the Camera app — look for "Scan document" when the camera detects a flat document.
How to scan to PDF on Mac
- Connect your scanner via USB or Wi-Fi.
- Open Image Capture (found in /Applications).
- Select your scanner on the left.
- Set the Format to PDF in the bottom options.
- Click Scan. The PDF saves to your chosen folder.
You can also scan from Preview: File → Import from Scanner → your scanner → Scan. In the options panel, set Format to PDF before scanning.
How to scan to PDF on Windows
- Connect your scanner.
- Open the Windows Scan app (search "Scan" in the Start menu — it is free from the Microsoft Store if not installed).
- Set File type to PDF.
- Click Scan. The PDF saves to your Pictures → Scanned Documents folder.
Already have photos of a document? Convert them to PDF
If you have already taken photos of a document (JPG or PNG), you do not need to scan again. Use Filero's free Image to PDF tool to combine one or more images into a single PDF in seconds.
- Open the Image to PDF tool.
- Upload your photos — select multiple files at once.
- Drag to reorder the pages if needed.
- Click Convert and download your PDF.
Tips for a sharp scan
- Good lighting is everything. Scan near a window or under a bright ceiling light. Avoid direct flash, which creates glare.
- Flatten the page. Curled edges cause shadows and distortion. Place the document on a flat, dark-coloured surface so the edges are clearly visible.
- Hold steady. Phone scanners are good at motion correction, but holding still for a second produces a sharper result.
- Check after scanning. Review each page before saving to catch blur or cropping issues while the document is still in front of you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF?
Yes. On iPhone, keep scanning pages before tapping Save and all pages become one PDF. On Android with Google Drive, use the + button to add pages before tapping Done. On desktop, scan each page and combine them using Filero's Merge PDF tool.
Is a phone scan good enough for official documents?
For most purposes — submitting documents online, emailing contracts, uploading to portals — a phone scan is perfectly acceptable. For certified copies or legal documents requiring notarisation, check with the recipient whether a phone scan is accepted.
How do I make a scanned PDF searchable?
A scanned PDF is essentially a photo — you cannot search or copy text from it unless you run OCR (optical character recognition). Use Filero's PDF to Word tool to extract the text via OCR, making the content searchable and editable.
Ready to try it?
Use Filero's free Image to PDF tool. No account needed, works on any device.
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