Your iPhone is a powerful scanner — you can turn receipts, contracts and multi-page documents into searchable PDFs in seconds using built-in tools or third-party apps.

Below you’ll find quick comparisons, step-by-step instructions for every method, export/OCR notes, and pro tips to get crisp, professional scans every time.

Quick comparison (scan methods at a glance)

1) Native: Scan with the Notes app (best quick built-in scanner)

Why use it: Fast, no installs required, scans go into a note and are easy to annotate or sign.
Step-by-step

1. Open Notes and create a new note (or open an existing one).
2. Tap the Camera / Attachments button and choose Scan Documents.
3. Position the iPhone so the document is visible — Notes will try Auto capture. If you prefer manual capture, switch to Manual.
4. If needed, tap the shutter or a volume button to capture. Adjust the crop corners, then tap Keep Scan.
5. Continue adding pages; when done tap Save. You can share via the Share sheet → Save to Files / Mail / AirDrop / etc.
   Notes & behavior: Notes can also scan text (Scan Text) to insert editable text into the note — great when you just need the text, not a PDF.

2) Native: Scan with the Files app (save PDF right to a folder)

Why use it: If you want the scan saved directly into a Files folder (iCloud Drive / On My iPhone) as a PDF.
Step-by-step

1. Open Files and navigate to the folder where you want to save the scan.
2. Tap the three-dot (More) button (usually top right) and choose Scan Documents.
3. Frame the page. In Auto mode iPhone captures automatically; otherwise tap Shutter.
4. Edit crop, add pages, then tap Save and name the PDF. It’s now inside Files where you chose.

Quick tip: If you want the scan to appear in a specific cloud service, open that folder in Files (e.g., Dropbox if integrated), then scan from there.

3) Native (iOS 26+): Use the new Preview app for scanning + PDF editing

Why use it: iOS 26 introduced Preview on iPhone — it combines scanning, PDF editing, signing and export in one place (handy if you edit PDFs often).
How to use

1. Open Preview app → tap New Document or Scan Document.
2. Scan pages exactly like Files/Notes. After scanning, use Preview’s tools to annotate, fill forms, add signature, and export.

4) Camera + Live Text — extract printed text directly (fast OCR)

Why use it: When you only need the text (copy/paste), not a PDF. Live Text detects text in the Camera preview and lets you copy it.
Step-by-step

1. Open Camera and point at the text. Wait for the Live Text yellow frame.
2. Tap the Live Text button (corner of the frame), select text, then Copy or Look Up / Translate.
3. Paste the text into Notes, Mail, or any app.

5) Continuity Camera — scan from iPhone straight into your Mac

Why use it: If you regularly use a Mac, scan documents on your iPhone and they show up immediately in Mac apps (Mail, Finder, Notes, etc.).
How

1. On your Mac, in a supported app choose Import from iPhone > Scan Documents (or right-click on Desktop → Import from iPhone).
2. Your iPhone camera opens; scan pages; tap Save and the file lands in the Mac app/folder. Requires same Apple ID, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.

6) Third-party scanner apps (when you want OCR, searchable PDFs, batch tools)

Top picks & why

• Adobe Scan — excellent OCR and integration with Adobe Acrobat; converts scans into searchable PDFs and integrates with Adobe cloud.
• Scanner Pro (Readdle) — polished UI, excellent image processing and on-device OCR/“Text Recognition” features. Good for organizing and exporting.
• Genius Scan — powerful free option, solid enhancements and searchable PDFs with upgrade.
• SwiftScan (Scanbot) — easy one-tap scanning, strong auto-crop and export to many cloud services.

Important note about Microsoft Lens: Microsoft announced plans to retire the Microsoft Lens app in 2025 — if you rely on Lens, plan a migration to alternatives (Adobe Scan, Scanner Pro, SwiftScan, Google Drive, etc.).

Typical third-party workflow

1. Install app (App Store).
2. Grant camera permission.
3. Use auto capture or manual capture, adjust crop, apply filters (color / B&W), add pages.
4. Run OCR (if needed), export as searchable PDF, or upload to cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive).

Exporting, searchable PDFs and OCR — what to expect

• Notes: Scans in Notes are convenient and can be searched within Notes/Spotlight (especially when you use Scan Text), but exported PDFs sometimes behave like images in other apps (so full cross-app searchable PDF behavior can vary). If you need robust searchable PDFs usable in many apps, prefer dedicated scanning apps (Adobe Scan, Scanner Pro) that create text-layer PDFs.
• Files: Saves a PDF file that’s easy to share, but Files-saved PDFs may not be OCR-indexed by Spotlight.
• Third-party apps: Typically offer stronger OCR, language options, export to PDF with a text layer and cloud integrations. Check privacy options (on-device OCR vs cloud OCR) if your documents are sensitive.

Pro tips for crisp, professional scans

1. Flat, even lighting: Avoid strong directional lights that cast shadows. Use indirect light or turn flash on (or use the iPhone as a fill light).
2. Solid contrasting background: Put the document on a dark table or mat so the camera easily detects edges.
3. Hold steady & top-down angle: For best perspective correction hold the camera parallel to the document.
4. Enable Auto mode for quick multi-page scanning — it detects pages and captures when aligned. Use Manual mode for tricky pages.
5. Use filters: Choose Color, Grayscale, or Black & White depending on content — B/W often gives the cleanest text.
6. Crop corners precisely: After capture, drag crop handles to remove background and fingers.
7. Run OCR where you need searchable text — use apps that explicitly say “searchable PDF” / “text recognition.” Adobe Scan and Scanner Pro have clear OCR features.
8. Name files clearly & use folders/tags — makes future search and automation (Shortcuts) much easier.
9. Consider on-device OCR for privacy — some apps do OCR locally; others upload images to the cloud for processing. Read app privacy settings.

Quick ways to share after scanning

• Share sheet: Tap Share → Mail, Messages, AirDrop, Save to Files, or upload to cloud service.
• Email as PDF: Most scan UIs let you “Share as PDF” directly.
• Add signature: Use Markup or Preview to sign before sharing. Preview in iOS 26 has built-in filling and signing.

FAQ

Q: Which built-in method creates searchable PDFs?
A: Notes supports scanning text and system search can index content inside Notes; for robust, cross-app searchable PDF with text layer use dedicated scanner apps (Adobe Scan, Scanner Pro).

Q: Is Microsoft Lens still recommended?
A: Microsoft announced plans to retire Lens in 2025, so choose alternatives and export/back up any Lens scans you rely on.

Q: Best format for legal documents?
A : PDF (keep high DPI) and, if required, keep an original image copy (JPEG) and a separate OCRed PDF.

Final checklist before you scan

• Clean the page (no wrinkles), flat surface, steady phone.
• Choose Notes/Files for quick: Notes → annotate, Files → save to folder.
• Use Adobe Scan / Scanner Pro / SwiftScan for searchable PDFs and heavy OCR work.