How to Scan Documents to PDF: iPhone, Android & Browser

Why Scan Documents to PDF?

In a paperless world, scanning documents to PDF is essential for:

Filing receipts for expense reports and taxes

Digitizing contracts and signed agreements

Submitting ID documents for verification

Archiving old paperwork before shredding

Sharing physical documents via email

For routine paperwork, a phone camera or desktop scanner can create a usable PDF without a separate scanning service. The exact controls differ by device, so use the current built-in steps below rather than guessing at a menu label.

Method 1: Scan with Your Phone (iPhone & Android)

iPhone (Built-in Scanner)

Apple has a document scanner built into Notes and Files. Apple's current Notes instructions are:

Open a note, tap the Attachment button, then choose Scan Documents.

Place the document in view. Keep automatic capture on, or switch to manual capture and use the shutter.

Adjust the corners if needed, then tap Keep Scan.

Add any additional pages, then tap Done. The scan is saved as a PDF in the note.

To save directly as a file instead, Apple documents Files → More → Scan Documents → Done → choose a location → Save. Do not export the whole note just to retrieve a multipage scan: Apple notes that exporting a note with a multipage scanned document can include only its first page.

Android (Google Drive Scanner)

Google's current Drive instructions are:

Open Google Drive and tap Camera at the bottom right.

Point the camera at the document; the blue outline shows the crop area. Capture automatically or manually.

Use Crop & Rotate, filters, or cleanup as needed; tap Add for another page.

Tap Done, choose a name and PDF format, then select Save to Drive.

Method 2: Desktop Scanner + ExactPDF

If you have a flatbed or sheet-fed scanner:

Scan to image — Most scanners save as JPEG or PNG

Open ExactPDF → Go to Image to PDF

Upload scanned images — select all scanned pages

Arrange order — drag to reorder pages

Choose page size — A4, Letter, or fit to image

Convert → Download your multi-page PDF

Scanner Tips for Best Results

Setting	Recommended Value
Resolution	300 DPI (text), 600 DPI (photos)
Color mode	Grayscale for text, Color for photos
Format	JPEG (smaller) or PNG (higher quality)
Contrast	Increase slightly for text documents

Method 3: Browser Camera or Image Upload

On a device with a camera, ExactPDF Scan to PDF can capture pages in the browser; it can also turn selected image files into a PDF:

Open Scan to PDF and allow camera access, or choose existing images.

Capture each page, review the captured-page list, and remove any unwanted page.

Choose Save as PDF to download the multi-page file.

This is a local PDF-creation workflow, not a phone-scanner replacement: it does not currently auto-detect document edges, crop, perspective-correct, or enhance a photo. Use the iPhone or Google Drive scan controls above when those corrections matter; use Images to PDF when you need to reorder images or choose A4, Letter, or Auto pages.

Extracting Text From Scanned PDFs (OCR)

Scanned documents are image-only until you extract text. ExactPDF's local OCR currently recognizes English and exports text; it does not add a selectable-text layer back into the original PDF:

Go to ExactPDF OCR Tool

Upload your scanned PDF

Confirm the scan is in English (the bundled free model is English-only)

Click "Extract Text"

Copy the result or download TXT, Markdown, or JSON

For an editable, text-first document, use PDF to Word with English OCR and proofread the result. Tables, columns, handwriting, and positioned images may need correction.

OCR works best with:

Clear, high-contrast text (black on white)

300+ DPI scans (higher resolution = better accuracy)

Straight alignment (not skewed or rotated)

Optimizing Scanned PDF File Size

Scans can be much larger than text PDFs, especially when they use color or a high resolution. Start with the lowest scanner quality that keeps the text readable, use grayscale only when color is unnecessary, then compress the PDF. Open the compressed result and check small text, stamps, and signatures before sending it; ExactPDF does not promise a fixed percentage reduction.

Multi-Page Document Tips

Scanning a Book

Use a phone scanner app for curved pages

Press the book flat against a dark surface

Scan two pages at a time, then split later

Scanning a Stack of Papers

Use a sheet-fed scanner for speed

Scan all pages to images, then convert all to one PDF

Or scan to individual PDFs and merge them

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best scanning app for iPhone?

Apple's built-in scanner (Notes or Files) is excellent. No third-party app needed.

How do I scan multiple pages into one PDF?

Scan all pages as images, then use Image to PDF to combine them into one document.

Can I scan and edit the text?

Use OCR to extract English text as TXT, Markdown, or JSON. It does not make the original PDF text-selectable. For a text-first editable copy, use PDF to Word with English OCR, then proofread layout and tables.

What resolution should I scan at?

Use the lowest scanner quality that keeps the document readable at its intended zoom. Higher-quality color scans can make a much larger PDF, so test one page before scanning a long stack.

How do I reduce the file size of a scanned PDF?

Use Compress PDF, then inspect the downloaded result for readable text and signatures. Compression savings depend on the source scan, its resolution, and its color content.

Start Scanning

Turn your paper documents into organized PDFs:

Image to PDF — Convert scanned images to PDF

OCR PDF — Extract English text from a scan

Compress PDF — Reduce scanned PDF file size

Merge PDFs — Combine multiple scans

Scan to PDF Now →