How to Scan Documents to PDF with Your Phone
Last updated
Phones make great document scanners once you stop using the default camera. The right app handles edge detection, perspective correction, and OCR — turning a photo into a clean, searchable PDF that looks scanned, not snapshotted.
This guide uses the PDF Editor app on iPhone or Android. Both platforms produce equivalent results for everyday document scanning.
Step by step
- 1
Open the scanner
Tap the Scan tile on the home screen of PDF Editor.
- 2
Aim at the document
Hold the phone roughly above the page. The app finds the edges automatically.
- 3
Let it auto-capture
The camera pulses when framing is right, then captures. You can also tap manually.
- 4
Adjust the detected corners
Fine-tune the edges if needed. Perspective correction kicks in after.
- 5
Add more pages
Tap the page counter to capture additional pages. They stitch into one PDF.
- 6
Save with OCR
Pick a filename. OCR runs in the background, making the saved PDF searchable.
Tips
- Place the document on a contrasting surface (dark folder under white paper) — edge detection works much better.
- Avoid direct overhead lighting that causes glare. Diffuse light is best.
- For receipts, use the Black-and-white filter to dramatically reduce file size.
Try it on your phone
The whole scan-and-save flow takes under 30 seconds even for a multi-page document. Compared to walking to a flatbed scanner, the phone wins for everyday business needs.
