How to scan documents with your iPhone

You don’t need a bulky device to scan and sign a document. Instead, you can use your iPhone or iPad to scan a document and turn it into a PDF in under a minute and send it anywhere.

This can make it easier to fill out forms for a doctor’s visit, sign a rental agreement or send a contract. All of this can be done in the Apple Notes app, which is pre-downloaded on the iPhone and iPad.

And with the scanning function, the document looks like a real scan and not just an image from a piece of paper. Also, you can filter it to black and white, e-sign the document, and combine multiple pages into one PDF file.

Here’s what you do.

Before you begin: It is best to place your document on a contrasting background so that your iPhone or iPad can more easily distinguish between the document and the background. For example, if it is a white sheet of paper, scan it on a dark wooden table.

• Open the Notes app and click the paper and pen icon in the bottom right corner to create a new note.
• Tap the camera icon and click Scan Documents.
• Place the document under the camera lens of your iPhone or iPad. An orange highlighted box will appear over the edge of your document and the scan will begin automatically. You can also press the shutter button or any of the volume buttons to take the picture if it doesn’t scan immediately.
• If the document size looks off, you can click or drag each corner of the scan box to align it so that only the document is captured and not the background.
• When scanning a multi-page PDF, you can scan one page at a time so that only one file is created.
• Press Save once you’re done capturing your scan.

Now it’s time to edit your scan. You can rename it, export as PDF, print and more. Here’s how.

• How to rename the document: Tap the file name at the top of the scan.
• To add a page: Once the document is saved, you’ll see an option at the bottom of the image to add a page by tapping a plus icon in the bottom-left corner.
• You can crop the document by selecting the crop icon that looks like a square. This will open a four-point crop box with circular magnifying glasses that you can use to crop your document with precision.
• How to adjust the orientation of your document: Select the rotation icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
• To send your document: Click on the “Export” button in the upper right corner of the scan. Once you select Export, you will also see the option to print, mark up, copy, share or save the PDF to your files.
• To sign the PDF: Tap on the Mark option after clicking on Export. Press the + button at the bottom right and click Signature. Here you can add a saved signature or create a new one. The size of your signature is adjustable and you can place it anywhere on the document.

That’s it!