Ever wondered how you can scan documents without actually using a physical scanner? How awesome would it be to scan documents directly through your Android phone? The good news is that aside from completing all the tasks that you can do on your PC, you can now do the tasks of a scanner directly on your Android phone, without the need for any additional equipment. The built-in cameras can work as great scanners if you get the right software and you won’t ever have to use a scanner in order to scan your documents.
Using The Basic Camera
For basic casual scanning, you can use your phone’s camera app to take pictures of documents and use those as scanned files. However, those files will be saved in an image format such as JPEG and not in a PDF document file. Moreover, those files won’t be optimized for better clarity. OCR or Optical Character Recognition is a vital part of scanning documents and is the way how captured or scanned documents are converted to proper readable electronic files. For proper scanning with OCR and PDF files, you can use this guide to scan documents professionally. Whether you want to scan some office documents or you want to scan and email a form to someone, you can easily scan your documents using these three methods.
Method 1: Google Drive
Google Drive is a fantastic cloud file storage application that is specifically designed for creating, saving and editing documents. It is easily a great cloud storage application but Google Drive for Android also brings scanning capabilities. The app lets you scan documents, uses its servers in order to add OCR and then converts the scanned document into the PDF file format. After converting it into a proper scanned document, the app uploads it to your Google Drive account.
Step 1
Download and install the Google Driver app on your Android device. You can get the app through the Google Play button below.
Step 2
Open the app and select Add New from the Menu. Now, select the Scan option.
Step 3
While in Scan mode, you’ll get a camera interface for capturing the document. Place your phone over the document that you want to scan and click on the Camera shutter button. Make sure that you capture the image of the document in such a way that it is readable. Possibly, one of the best things about the app is that it crops the document part of the image automatically so that you only have the scanned document.
Step 4
Once you capture the image, you will be able to edit the document before saving it. You can rotate, add effects or crop the document before saving it in your Google Drive account. Once you are done editing the document, simply tap on the Tick button. That’s it! Your scanned document will now be saved in a PDF format available on your Google Drive.
Method 2: Evernote
Evernote is one of the most popular productivity apps available on the Google Play store and it is aimed at creating, editing and organizing documents and notes directly through your Android phone. The app also features a built-in document scanner and after scanning, Evernote automatically edits and improves the overall quality of the document by improving contrast, adjusting shadows and cropping edges.
Step 1
Download and install Evernote on your Android device. You can get the app through the Google Play button below.
Step 2
Open the app and tap on the Plus icon. Next, select Page Camera. You will now be taken to the camera scanner interface.
Step 3
Place your phone over the document that you want to scan and press the camera shutter button in order to scan/capture the document. After scanning, the app will save the scanned document and you’ll be taken back to the scanner interface. The great thing here is that you can quickly scan multiple documents and combine them into one single scanned document.
Step 4
Once you are done scanning, simply press the Tick button and Evernote will save the scanned document on your device.
Method 3: Handy Scanner
Handy Scanner is a popular third party scanning application available on the Google Play store. Downloaded by millions of Android users, Handy Scanner is designed specifically for scanning documents and does a great job at scanning documents, business cards and whiteboards. The app does a fantastic job by enhancing the captured images and also includes additional features for manually editing the scanned document.
Step 1
Download and install Handy Scanner on your Android device. You can download the app through the Google Play button below.
Step 2
Open the app and click on the Plus icon. Now, select Camera in order to enter into the scanning mode.
Step 3
Take the picture of the document that you want to scan through the Shutter button. After capturing the image, Handy Scanner will display an adjustable border around the document so that you can crop it.
Step 4
You can edit the file by using various effects and can also rotate the document by pressing the rotating arrows button.
Step 5
Once you are done editing, press the Next button and you’ll be required to enter a name for your file. Type the file name and click on OK to save your scanned document. You can save the file in a PDF file as well as in a JPEG image file.
Conclusion
Scanning is one of the most important parts of a business’s operations and a lot of people need to scan documents regularly. While physical scanners can be expensive to purchase, they are also not portable and you can’t use them on the go. Whether you want to scan documents while you are on the move or you just don’t have a scanner, you can easily your use your Android device as a professional scanner to scan and save documents directly through your device’s built-in camera. You can even try the best editing apps to modify your scans or backup apps to save all of your documents and receipts. Whichever method you choose, make sure that you follow all the instructions properly and feel free to ask any questions below.
