In the past, digitising physical paperwork meant buying a flatbed scanner or downloading ad-filled third-party scanning apps from the App Store. Today, your iPhone has an incredibly powerful, native document scanner built directly into the default Notes app.
The built-in scanner does not just take a standard photograph. It automatically identifies the edges of your document, corrects the perspective (so the paper looks perfectly flat even if you took the photo at an angle), removes shadows, and enhances text contrast for perfect legibility.
How to Scan a Document Using the Notes App
- Open the Notes app on your iPhone.
- Create a new note by tapping the compose icon (the square with a pen) in the bottom right corner, or open an existing note where you want to place the document.
- Tap the Camera icon located in the toolbar above the keyboard. (If the keyboard isn’t visible, tap anywhere on the blank page to bring up the toolbar).
- Select Scan Documents from the pop-up menu.
- Position your iPhone camera directly over the document. Make sure the document is on a contrasting background (e.g., place a white piece of paper on a dark table) for the best results.
- If your phone is set to “Auto” (visible in the top right corner), the camera will automatically detect the edges, highlight them in yellow, and snap the scan for you. If it struggles, you can tap the shutter button manually.
- If you need to scan a multi-page contract or document, simply place the next page in view. The scanner will keep capturing pages in succession.
- When you are finished capturing all pages, tap Save in the bottom right corner.
The scanned pages will now appear perfectly formatted and embedded directly inside your note.
How to Edit and Sign the Scanned Document
Once the document is in your note, you can interact with it just like a physical piece of paper.
- To rename it: Tap the default name (usually “Scanned Document”) at the top of the scan to type a custom name.
- To add a signature: Tap the scanned document to open it in full screen, tap the Share icon (the box with the arrow pointing up) in the top right corner, and select Markup. Tap the “+” icon in the bottom right and select Signature. You can sign with your finger, resize it, and place it on the dotted line.
How to Share or Export as a PDF
Leaving the scan inside the Notes app is great for personal organisation, but usually, you need to email it to someone.
- Tap on the scanned document inside your note to open it.
- Tap the Share icon in the top right corner.
- From the Share Sheet, you can instantly Mail it, send it via Messages, or choose Save to Files to store it locally on your device or in iCloud Drive.
Regardless of which sharing method you choose, Apple automatically converts the scan into an industry-standard PDF file, ensuring the recipient can open it perfectly on any device.
