How to scan a document on android
Monday, August 7, 2023
How to scan a document on android
Scanning documents is an easy way to share and edit digital documents. You need nothing more than your Android phone and its camera. Even if you're using one of our favorite low-cost Android phones, you can still scan clear document images for business or personal use.
This guide shows you three ways to scan documents with your Android phone. There are hundreds of document scanning apps, but we recommend Google Drive, Adobe Scan, and Microsoft Office Lens. These apps are available for Android and iOS devices. However, the Google Stack is also well worth exploring, as it is Google's dedicated document scanning tool.
How to scan documents on your phone with Microsoft Office Lens
Of these four options, Microsoft Office Lens is probably the best. Whether you have deep integration with Microsoft's suite of services and Office suites or not, it's quick and easy with a simple interface and all the tools you need.
If you often scan documents from your phone, use this application. Its benefits include:
Integration with Microsoft applications and services such as OneNote, OneDrive, Word, and PowerPoint.
Copy text to Microsoft Word.
Simple and super fast interface.
Works with pictures and photos you already have.
Out of all the apps on this list, this is the easiest to use.
To scan a document with Microsoft Office Lens
When you launch the app, you'll be taken directly to the viewfinder (bottom center).
Left: Launch the application for the first time. Center: Viewfinder. Right: Select a photo from the Camera Roll.
Viewfinder has all the tools you need instantly accessible with just a few clicks. Along the bottom of the viewfinder, below the shutter, are the different modes you can toggle depending on what you're scanning. You'll probably use the default Document mode, but you can quickly switch to scanning business cards, photos, and whiteboards, each of which activates preset modes.
Above the shutter is your camera roll, giving you easy access to the images you've taken with your camera app. Tap the image you want to add to the document, then tap the orange arrow to the right of the shutter button (top right). You can also tap the photo/gallery icon to access the file picker to navigate to images outside of the camera roll.
Once you have aligned the document in the viewfinder, an orange-red rectangle indicates a fixed lock on the perspective and size of the document (can be automatically cropped and corrected). Just be aware that if you're shooting against a grid-like background like you see in the photo above, it can be a little buggy with this auto-cropping. If this happens, there is a manual correction tool and only specific circumstances are causing the misconduct for us.
How to edit a scanned document in Microsoft Office Lens
Once you've captured a page for your document, polishing that page is simple. If you need to add another page to your document, press the Add New button and you'll be taken to the viewfinder to add another image. Repeat this process as needed for each page of the document.
You can swipe between pages by scrolling left and right when multiple images are loaded. If you want to convert your document to black and white or a different look, you can easily access the filters with a simple swipe up.
You'll find most of the other, less frequently used options at the top of the screen. You can delete images in the current document, change how it is cropped, rotate images, change the document type (adjust predefined filters), create text overlays, or draw on the document. With pinch-to-zoom work, you can add a signature or caption as needed.
How to export a scanned document in Microsoft Office Lens
When you're satisfied with your scanned document, you're ready to export and save it. You can save it to your Android phone's gallery as a JPEG image, but there are options to save the PDF to your phone's storage. You can also send images to OneDrive, PowerPoint, or OneNote. In addition, documents can be imported into Microsoft Word for OCR if you want to convert them to text.
Once the document has been saved in a specific format, a list of files that you have created in the application is displayed. From there, you can share or delete them via the three-dot menu of each.
There are two other ways to create PDF files on your Android device that we have listed below. The Google Drive app is the most convenient option for busy users, and Adobe Scan is a good tool if you live in the Acrobat ecosystem. However, if you regularly scan documents, we think you should give Microsoft Office Lens a try. This is the best document scanning solution we have used.
This guide shows you three ways to scan documents with your Android phone. There are hundreds of document scanning apps, but we recommend Google Drive, Adobe Scan, and Microsoft Office Lens. These apps are available for Android and iOS devices. However, the Google Stack is also well worth exploring, as it is Google's dedicated document scanning tool.
How to scan documents on your phone with Microsoft Office Lens
Of these four options, Microsoft Office Lens is probably the best. Whether you have deep integration with Microsoft's suite of services and Office suites or not, it's quick and easy with a simple interface and all the tools you need.
If you often scan documents from your phone, use this application. Its benefits include:
Integration with Microsoft applications and services such as OneNote, OneDrive, Word, and PowerPoint.
Copy text to Microsoft Word.
Simple and super fast interface.
Works with pictures and photos you already have.
Out of all the apps on this list, this is the easiest to use.
To scan a document with Microsoft Office Lens
When you launch the app, you'll be taken directly to the viewfinder (bottom center).
Left: Launch the application for the first time. Center: Viewfinder. Right: Select a photo from the Camera Roll.
Viewfinder has all the tools you need instantly accessible with just a few clicks. Along the bottom of the viewfinder, below the shutter, are the different modes you can toggle depending on what you're scanning. You'll probably use the default Document mode, but you can quickly switch to scanning business cards, photos, and whiteboards, each of which activates preset modes.
Above the shutter is your camera roll, giving you easy access to the images you've taken with your camera app. Tap the image you want to add to the document, then tap the orange arrow to the right of the shutter button (top right). You can also tap the photo/gallery icon to access the file picker to navigate to images outside of the camera roll.
Once you have aligned the document in the viewfinder, an orange-red rectangle indicates a fixed lock on the perspective and size of the document (can be automatically cropped and corrected). Just be aware that if you're shooting against a grid-like background like you see in the photo above, it can be a little buggy with this auto-cropping. If this happens, there is a manual correction tool and only specific circumstances are causing the misconduct for us.
How to edit a scanned document in Microsoft Office Lens
Once you've captured a page for your document, polishing that page is simple. If you need to add another page to your document, press the Add New button and you'll be taken to the viewfinder to add another image. Repeat this process as needed for each page of the document.
You can swipe between pages by scrolling left and right when multiple images are loaded. If you want to convert your document to black and white or a different look, you can easily access the filters with a simple swipe up.
You'll find most of the other, less frequently used options at the top of the screen. You can delete images in the current document, change how it is cropped, rotate images, change the document type (adjust predefined filters), create text overlays, or draw on the document. With pinch-to-zoom work, you can add a signature or caption as needed.
How to export a scanned document in Microsoft Office Lens
When you're satisfied with your scanned document, you're ready to export and save it. You can save it to your Android phone's gallery as a JPEG image, but there are options to save the PDF to your phone's storage. You can also send images to OneDrive, PowerPoint, or OneNote. In addition, documents can be imported into Microsoft Word for OCR if you want to convert them to text.
Once the document has been saved in a specific format, a list of files that you have created in the application is displayed. From there, you can share or delete them via the three-dot menu of each.
There are two other ways to create PDF files on your Android device that we have listed below. The Google Drive app is the most convenient option for busy users, and Adobe Scan is a good tool if you live in the Acrobat ecosystem. However, if you regularly scan documents, we think you should give Microsoft Office Lens a try. This is the best document scanning solution we have used.
How to use Google Drive to scan documents on your Android phone
Reasons to use the Google Drive app for your PDF needs are:
It's simple and easy to use.
You probably have nothing to install. Most phones come with it.
He syncs the PDFs he creates with Google Drive, a productivity boon based on G Suite and cloud storage.
To scan a document with Google Drive
Open the Google Drive app.
Click the plus button in the lower right corner.
Select Scan.
Align the document in the viewfinder, make sure all four corners are visible and your view is essentially flat, then press the shutter button.
Drive allows you to review and accept or reject photos before converting them to PDF.
Once you have accepted the image, you can perform the following steps to scan more pages or make changes:
Add more pages to the current document (+ icon).
Retrieve any added pages (reload/restore icon).
Change cropping/distortion correction (cropping icon in upper right corner).
Change the color settings (color palette icon in the upper right corner).
Delete, rotate, or rename a scan (three-dot button in the upper right corner).
Other options in the nested settings menu allow you to change the paper size, orientation, and image quality, although the defaults are appropriate for most cases.
When you're satisfied with the results, tap the check mark in the lower right corner. Drive asks where to save the file in Google Drive and what to name the file. It will be there after pressing Save in the bottom right corner. Congratulations, you have created a PDF file using your phone's camera.
How to use Adobe Scan to scan files with your phone
If you need a different set of features than the Google Drive app offers and are willing to forgo deeper integration with services from G Suite, then go for it. Adobe Scan is a powerful alternative to the old-school document scanner. Its benefits include:
OCR (Optical Character Recognition), which turns scanned documents into searchable and copyable text.
Works with pictures and photos you have.
Auto Capture simplifies the photography process.
Works with the Adobe Acrobat application to sign and complete integrated forms.
How to scan documents with Adobe Scan
Download Adobe Scan from the Google Play Store.
Open Adobe Scan and grant appropriate permissions.
Place your phone camera on the scanning area, make sure that the entire document is displayed.
Adobe Scan automatically captures the document as it is viewed.
If you want to manually align and capture your document, tap the open icon to the left of Auto Capture.
Once you've captured all the documents you want to include in a given PDF, tap the library icon in the bottom right corner and it lets you review your scans.
From the review screen you can rename the PDF (using the text/pencil icon) or use the navigation bar at the bottom to add more pages, rearrange elements, adjust cropping , rotate the image, choose a color setting, or delete the page.
Click Save PDF in the upper left corner when you are satisfied with your scan.