How to Scan Physical Documents to PDF Using the Google Drive App

There are countless third-party applications available for scanning physical documents, but many of them are riddled with advertisements, require expensive subscriptions, or apply ugly watermarks to your finished files. If you use Google Drive, you already have access to a powerful, completely free document scanner that utilises Google’s advanced image processing and automatically uploads your scans to the cloud.

This feature is perfect for digitising receipts, tax documents, or handwritten notes. This guide explains how to use the built-in scanner in the Google Drive app for iOS and Android.

How to Scan a Document

Ensure you have the latest version of the Google Drive app installed on your smartphone before beginning.

1. Place the physical document flat on a surface with contrasting colours (for example, placing a white piece of paper on a dark wooden table). This helps the software accurately detect the edges of the page.
2. Open the Google Drive app on your smartphone.
3. Look in the bottom-right corner of the screen and tap the large + (Plus) button.
4. From the menu that appears, tap the Scan icon (it looks like a small camera).
5. If prompted, grant Google Drive permission to access your device’s camera.
6. Position your phone directly above the document. The app will attempt to automatically detect the edges (indicated by a blue box) and take the photo automatically. If it struggles, you can tap the circular shutter button to capture the image manually.

Adjusting and Enhancing the Scan

Once the image is captured, you are presented with a preview screen where you can adjust the scan before saving it as a PDF.

• Cropping: If the software captured part of the table, tap the Crop icon (two overlapping right angles). You can drag the corners of the bounding box to perfectly frame the document.
• Colour Filters: By default, Google applies a “Color” or “Black & White” enhancement filter to make text pop. Tap the Filter icon (three overlapping circles) to switch between Black & White, Color, or the raw, unedited Photo.
• Retaking the Image: If the image is blurry, tap the Retake button to try again.

Scanning Multiple Pages into One PDF

One of the most useful features of the scanner is the ability to combine multiple physical pages into a single digital PDF file.

1. Do not tap the “Save” button after scanning your first page.
2. Instead, look in the bottom-left corner and tap the + (Plus) icon next to the thumbnail.
3. The camera will reopen. Capture your second page.
4. Repeat this process until all pages are scanned. You can swipe left and right on the preview screen to review all captured pages.

Saving the Document

1. Once you are satisfied with your scan(s), tap the Save button in the bottom-right corner.
2. You will be prompted to name the file. It will default to “Scanned_YYYY-MM-DD.”
3. Choose the specific Google Drive folder where you want the PDF to be saved.
4. Tap Save again. The PDF will immediately begin uploading to your Google Drive account, making it accessible from any connected computer or device.