How to scan a document to PDF on iPhone

Your iPhone can already scan to PDF. Open the Files app, tap the More button, tap Scan Documents, hold the page in view until it’s captured, tap Keep Scan, then Done, pick a folder and tap Save. Notes can scan too. A scanner app such as Skan adds text you can search, names for your documents and receipt totals, still without uploading anything.

Scan to PDF with the Files app

1. Open Files and tap the More button (the three dots).
2. Tap Scan Documents.
3. Hold the page in view of the camera. In Auto mode it is captured on its own; otherwise tap the shutter button or press a volume button.
4. Drag the corners to fit the page, then tap Keep Scan. Scan the next page, or tap Done.
5. Choose a location, such as iCloud Drive or On My iPhone, and tap Save.

You now have a PDF in that folder, ready to send with Mail or AirDrop. These steps follow Apple’s own guide, How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad.

Scan in Notes

1. Open Notes and pick a note or create a new one.
2. Tap the Attachment button (the paper clip), then Scan Documents.
3. Capture the pages the same way, tap Keep Scan for each, then Done.

The scan stays inside the note, and Notes search finds text in scanned documents. To send it as a PDF, open the scan in the note and tap the Share button. Notes can also add your signature to a scan with Markup.

Tips for a sharp scan

• Put the paper on a dark, plain surface so the edges stand out.
• Use daylight or a bright lamp from the side, so your phone doesn’t cast a shadow on the page.
• Hold the phone straight above the page and let Auto mode take the picture when it’s steady.
• Glossy paper reflects the flash. Turn it off and tilt the page slightly instead.
• Unfold creases and scan each page of a stapled letter separately; you can keep adding pages to the same PDF.

When a scanner app is worth it

For a one-off form, Files is all you need. If you scan paperwork you’ll want to find again, such as bills, contracts and receipts, a scanner app saves time. Skan is free and does this on the phone:

• Every scan in one list, and search across all of them for a word, a name or an amount.
• PDFs with a text layer, so the text can be searched and copied wherever you send them.
• Names your documents for you, e.g. “Invoice – Harbour Power – 2026-09”.
• Finds the total, VAT and date on receipts and exports them as CSV for your spreadsheet or accounting app.
• Signature, password-protected PDFs, and “Scan with Skan” in Siri and Shortcuts.

Like Files and Notes, Skan works without an internet connection. It has no account and no server, so your documents stay on your iPhone.

Download on the App StoreMore about Skan