Quick answer: Open Notes, start a new note, tap the attachment (paperclip or camera) button and choose Scan Documents. Hold the page in view until it captures, then tap Save. To save straight to a PDF file, use Files → More (three dots) → Scan Documents instead.
Written for iOS 18 and iOS 26. Menu names can differ slightly on older versions.
You don't need a scanner app. Every iPhone has a document scanner that finds the page edges, straightens the image, and saves a clean PDF. It lives in two places: Notes and Files.
Scan with Notes
- Open Notes and start a new note.
- Tap the attachment button (paperclip or camera) and choose Scan Documents.
- Hold the page in view. Your iPhone captures automatically when the edges are clear, or tap the shutter.
- Keep going for more pages, then tap Save.
Notes›New note›Attachment›Scan Documents
Scan straight to a PDF in Files
- Open Files and go to the folder you want.
- Tap the More button (three dots) and choose Scan Documents.
- Scan the pages and tap Save. A PDF appears in that folder.
Use Files for anything official you'll email or upload. Use Notes when the scan belongs with other notes, like class handouts or a project.
Fix a page after scanning
Open the scan and tap a page to crop it, rotate it, change the filter, or retake it. You can add more pages to an existing scan from the same view.
Sign a scanned document
- Open the PDF and tap the Markup button (the pen tip).
- Tap +, then Add Signature.
- Sign with your finger, then drag the signature into place and tap Done.
Get a clean scan
- Put the page on a dark, flat surface so the edges stand out.
- Use even light and keep your shadow off the page.
- Choose the Grayscale or Black & White filter for text documents.
- Drag the corner handles if the automatic crop misses an edge.
Find scans again later
Notes can search the text inside your scans, so searching "lease" finds a scanned lease. Rename files right away with what they are and when: "Lease – Flat 3B – 2026-10.pdf". Save to iCloud Drive if you want the scan on your other devices and backed up; On My iPhone keeps it local only.
If scans end up scattered across Notes, Files and email, pick one home. Share the PDF to Snugit and it's saved with its name, one search away.
Troubleshooting
- No Scan Documents option in Notes: notes stored in a Gmail or other non-iCloud account don't support attachments. Create the note in iCloud or On My iPhone.
- Blurry pages: hold steady until the capture happens automatically, or turn on the flash in the scanner.
Scanning receipts, IDs and business cards
- Receipts: scan them the day you get them and name them with the store and date. A receipt system that holds up at tax time.
- IDs and insurance cards: scan both sides into one document, and keep it somewhere locked, like a locked note.
- Business cards: scan into Notes, then use Live Text to tap the phone number or email directly.
Scanning into Google Drive or OneDrive
If your files live in Google Drive or OneDrive, their iPhone apps include their own scanners that save straight to your account. The results are similar; pick whichever app is already home for your documents.
Common questions
Is the iPhone scanner as good as a scanner app?
For most documents, yes. It straightens pages, removes the background and creates a clean PDF. Dedicated apps add extras like automatic file naming, cloud uploads and advanced OCR, but you do not need one for receipts, letters or forms.
How do I scan a document to email?
Scan it in Files so it is saved as a PDF, then open the PDF, tap Share, and choose Mail. From Notes, open the scan, tap Share, and send it the same way.
Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF?
Yes. Keep capturing pages before you tap Save, and they are all saved as one document. You can also add pages to an existing scan later.
Where do scanned documents go?
Scans made in Notes stay inside that note. Scans made in Files are saved as a PDF in the folder you were in. Search either app for the document name or a word in it.
Can I make a scanned PDF searchable?
Notes reads the text in scans so you can search for words inside them. For other apps, rename the file with clear words so searching the name finds it.
Download Snugit and keep every scan one search away.