How to Scan on Android

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Scan with Google Drive

Google Drive has a built-in document scanner on every Android phone. It’s the easiest way to scan without installing anything extra.

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. Tap the “+” button in the bottom-right corner.
3. Tap “Scan” (the camera icon).
4. Position your phone over the document. The scanner automatically detects the edges and captures the page.
5. Adjust the crop if needed by dragging the corner handles.
6. Tap the checkmark to confirm the scan.
7. To scan additional pages, tap the “+” icon to add more pages to the same document.
8. When finished, tap “Save.” Choose a folder in Google Drive, name the file, and tap “Save.”

The scan saves as a PDF in your Google Drive. You can share it, download it to your phone, or print it directly from Drive. The scanner also applies automatic color correction and straightens slightly tilted pages.

Scan with Google Camera (Pixel Phones)

Google Pixel phones have scanning built right into the camera app.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Point the camera at a document, business card, or QR code.
3. A white outline appears around detected documents with a “Scan document” suggestion.
4. Tap the shutter button or the suggestion to capture the scan.
5. The scan saves to Google Photos and can be shared as an image or PDF.

This works well for quick single-page scans. For multi-page documents, Google Drive’s scanner is a better choice since it lets you combine pages into one PDF.

Scan with Samsung Camera

Samsung Galaxy phones running One UI 2.0 or later have document scanning built into the stock camera app.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Point it at a document. A yellow border appears around the detected document.
3. Tap the “Scan” button that appears (or tap the “T” icon for text extraction).
4. The scan is cropped, straightened, and saved to your Gallery.
5. Open the scan in the Gallery to share, edit, or convert to PDF.

If the automatic detection doesn’t trigger, make sure “Scene optimizer” is turned on in your camera settings. The document needs to be on a contrasting background (a dark document on a light desk, or vice versa) for the camera to detect the edges.

Best Third-Party Scanner Apps

Adobe Scan stands out for OCR (optical character recognition). It converts scanned text into selectable, searchable text – useful when you need to copy text from a printed document. Microsoft Lens integrates directly with Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote, so scanned content flows right into your Office workflow.

Tips for Better Scans

Place the document on a flat, contrasting surface. A white page scans best on a dark desk or table. Avoid wrinkled or folded pages since the scanner can’t flatten out physical creases.

Use good lighting. Natural light or overhead room lighting works best. Avoid casting a shadow over the document with your phone or hand. Don’t use the flash – it creates a bright hotspot in the center of the scan and washes out text.

Hold your phone parallel to the document, not at an angle. Most scanner apps correct for slight tilting, but a straight-on angle produces the sharpest result. Keep your hands steady or prop your elbows on the table for stability.

Save Scans as PDF

Google Drive’s scanner saves directly as PDF. For other apps and camera scans that save as images, here’s how to convert:

1. Open the image in Google Photos or your Gallery app.
2. Tap Share, then “Print.”
3. Change the printer to “Save as PDF.”
4. Tap the download/save icon.
5. Choose where to save the PDF file.

This works for any image on your phone – not just scans. It’s a quick way to convert screenshots, photos of whiteboards, or receipts into PDF format.

Scan QR Codes

Most Android phones running Android 13 or later scan QR codes directly from the camera app. Point the camera at a QR code and a link or action pops up automatically. On older phones, use Google Lens (accessible from the Google search bar or the camera app’s Lens mode) to scan QR codes.

Why is my scan blurry?

The most common cause is camera shake. Hold your phone steady and make sure the camera has focused before it captures. Tap the document on screen to force the camera to focus on it. Poor lighting also causes blurry scans – move to a brighter area or turn on more lights. Clean your camera lens with a soft cloth if scans are consistently hazy.

Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF?

Yes. Google Drive’s scanner and most third-party scanner apps support multi-page scanning. After scanning the first page, tap the add/plus button to scan additional pages. All pages combine into a single PDF when you save. Adobe Scan and Microsoft Lens handle multi-page documents especially well.

How do I extract text from a scanned document?

Use an app with OCR (optical character recognition). Adobe Scan and Google Lens both extract text from scanned documents. In Google Lens, point the camera at text and tap “Copy text” to copy it to your clipboard. Adobe Scan makes scanned PDFs fully searchable and lets you select and copy text from any scan.

See also: How to Update Apps on Android, How to Split Screen on Android, How to Screenshot on Android

Sources

Google – Scan Documents with Google Drive | Adobe – Adobe Scan