How to Scan Documents With Your iPhone (Free, PDF, Signatures and OCR)

Applications, school files, receipts, contracts: many procedures require scanned documents. Your iPhone produces clean, straight PDF scans in seconds, for free.

Method 1: With the Files app

1. Open Files and go to the folder of your choice.
2. Tap the ⋯ button (top right) and choose Scan Documents.
3. Place the document on a contrasting surface. The iPhone detects the edges and captures automatically.
4. Scan the next pages, then tap Save. A multi-page PDF is created.

Method 2: With Notes

1. Open Notes, create a note.
2. Tap the camera / paperclip icon and choose Scan Documents.
3. Scan, then tap Save. Share as PDF from the note.

Tips for perfect scans

• Good light, no shadow from your hand or phone.
• A dark table under a white sheet helps edge detection.
• Choose Color, Grayscale, Black & White or Photo filters before saving; black & white makes small, readable files for forms.
• Adjust the corners manually if the crop is wrong.

Sign a document

Open the PDF in Files, tap the Markup (pen) icon, then + > Add Signature. Draw your signature once, it is saved for next time.

Copy the text (OCR)

Text in scans and photos can be selected with Live Text: copy text from a photo or scan.

Reduce the file size for upload

Websites often limit uploads to 1 or 2 MB. Use the Black & White filter and fewer pages, or export pages as JPG. Need another format? convert HEIC to JPG.

Privacy

For ID cards and passports, keep scans in a locked note or a folder, and delete them from Recently Deleted after sending. Lock the Notes app if needed: lock apps with Face ID.