How to Scan Documents on iPhone

To scan a document on an iPhone, open a note in the Notes app, tap the Attachment button, and choose Scan Documents. Hold the iPhone over the page. It scans automatically, or you can tap the Shutter button. Adjust the corners if needed, tap Keep Scan, and then Done. The scan is saved in the note as a PDF.

You don’t need a scanner app. Notes, Files and Preview all have a built-in document scanner, and the Camera app can copy printed text with Live Text. This guide covers each one, plus how to sign a scan and get it off your phone. The steps follow Apple’s document scanning article and the iPhone User Guide. Button names and options can vary slightly by iOS version. To read the manual for your version, see how to get the iPhone User Guide from Apple.

In this article:

• Scan with the Notes app
• Scan with the Files app
• Scan with the Preview app
• Sign a scanned document
• Scan text instead of a whole page
• Share or save your scan
• Frequently asked questions

Scan With the Notes App

Notes is the quickest option because the scan stays attached to a note you can find later.

1. Open Notes and create a new note or open an existing one.
2. Tap the Attachment button, then tap Scan Documents. In an open note, you can also tap the More button and then Scan.
3. Place the document in view of the camera. On iOS 26 and later, you can choose options such as flash or an image filter first.
4. If the scanner is in Auto mode, it captures the page as soon as it finds the edges. To capture manually, tap the Shutter button or press either volume button.
5. Drag the corners so the frame fits the page, then tap Keep Scan. Tap Retake if the shot is blurry.
6. Scan more pages or tap Done.

Result: The pages appear in the note as a single PDF attachment.

Apple’s guide says that in Auto mode you can tap the thumbnail of a captured page, choose an option such as Adjust, make your changes, and then tap the Back button. Keep the iPhone steady so the scanner can detect the page edges.

Scan With the Files App

Use Files when you want the PDF in a specific folder, such as iCloud Drive or a folder on your iPhone.

1. Open Files.
2. Tap the More button (three dots), then tap Scan Documents.
3. Scan the pages the same way as in Notes: let Auto mode capture them, or tap the Shutter button, then adjust the corners and tap Keep Scan.
4. Tap Done.
5. Choose a location, then tap Save.

Result: The scan is saved in the folder you picked, where other apps can open it.

Scan With the Preview App

Newer versions of iOS include a Preview app that scans documents into a PDF. If you don’t see Preview on your iPhone, use Notes or Files instead.

1. Open Preview and tap Scan Documents.
2. Position the camera so the page is on the screen. iPhone captures it automatically. To capture it yourself, tap Auto so it changes to Manual, then tap the Shutter button.
3. Repeat for any other pages.
4. Tap a thumbnail to crop, rotate or adjust the coloring.
5. Tap Done.

Result: Preview creates a PDF of the pages you scanned.

Sign a Scanned Document

You can sign a scan in Notes without printing it.

1. Open the note and tap the scanned document.
2. Tap the Markup button.
3. Tap the Add button (+), then tap Signature. Choose a saved signature or create a new one.
4. Drag the signature box into place and resize it.
5. Tap Done.

Result: The signature is added to the scan. To sign by hand instead, pick a drawing tool in Markup and sign with your finger.

Scan Text Instead of a Whole Page

Sometimes you only need the words, not an image of the page. Notes can type printed text into a note for you, in supported languages:

1. In a note, tap the Attachment button, then tap Scan Text.
2. Point the camera at the text.
3. Drag or use the grab points to select the text, then tap Insert.

Result: The text appears in the note as editable text.

The Camera app can also do this with Live Text. Point the camera at the text, wait for the yellow frame, and tap the Detect Text button. Then touch and hold the text to copy, translate, look it up or share it. Live Text doesn’t save a scan, so use Notes, Files or Preview when you need a PDF. To scan a QR code instead, see how to scan QR codes on an iPhone.

Share or Save Your Scan

In Notes, open the scan and use its Share button to send it by Mail, Messages or AirDrop, or to save it to Files. Share the scan attachment itself rather than the whole note. Apple notes that when you export a note as a PDF, only the first page of a multipage scan or PDF attachment is included.

If you started in Files, the scan is already in a folder, so you can share it from there. For other ways to create PDFs, see how to make a PDF on iPhone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What format are scans saved in?

Notes saves document scans as a PDF in the note, Preview creates a PDF, and Files saves the scan in the location you choose.

Why doesn’t my iPhone scan automatically?

The scanner may be set to manual. Tap Auto or the automatic capture button to switch modes, or capture the page yourself with the Shutter button. Holding the iPhone steady helps it find the page edges.

Can I add more pages to a scan later?

Yes. Before you tap Done, keep scanning to add pages.

How do I get scans onto my PC?

Save them to iCloud Drive or OneDrive in Files, or share them by email. See how to transfer files from iPhone to PC. When sharing from Notes, share the scan attachment itself so every page is included.

Can I scan from my iPhone straight to my Mac?

Yes. Apple’s scanning article links to Continuity Camera, which lets you scan documents with your iPhone straight to your Mac.