In the past, the only way to scan a document was to use a PC in conjunction with a scanner. Today there are a number of document scanning applications that can maximize this function, bringing it to the comfort of your smartphone and giving you the possibility of scanning documents from your cell phone.
Do you want to take advantage of this new technology to speed up the scanning of work documents? Or school projects? In today's article, we'll introduce you to seven document scanning applications so you never need a high-quality printer to store your files again!
Google Drive
The first of the best apps for scanning documents is Google Drive. Although many people use this app to send, receive, share and store files, it also has the option of scanning using the cell phone's camera. To use it this way, just look for the "+" option on the screen and click on "scan" straight away.
Drive is completely free, with a paid option only for buying more storage space as the standard amount is very limited. It's available for Android as well as iOS, but it's not very useful in terms of editing, although you can use some filters to improve the quality of the scanned image, crop it, rotate it and even save it as a PDF. You can check it out for yourself by downloading the app from the button below!
Adobe Scan
Adobe Scan is one of the most widely used document scanning apps. It is compatible with the Android and iOS operating systems and has extra features in addition to scanning documents, such as changing colors to improve the visibility of the scanned file and the possibility of sending them by email directly from the app or uploading them to a cloud.
Once the application is open and the camera is pointed at the document you need to scan, it will do the job without you having to press any buttons. Once the scan is complete, the option to save it as a PDF on the device or in Adobe Document Cloud, which is a free cloud service from Adobe, will appear. Despite being a free application, there are paid features such as increased storage and PDF editing that are only available on the paid plan which costs R$ 56.99 per month. Click on the button below and download it to check it out!
PhotoScan
PhotoScan is an app developed by Google that is also popular with those looking for apps to scan documents. It is compatible with both Android and iOS and its features are completely free, with no paid version or in-app purchases. Its interface is very simple and easy to use: when the camera detects a file to be scanned, various dots appear on the screen to give the user an idea of what the final result will look like.
When the line of circles turns completely blue, the document has already been scanned and you can move on to the next one. At the end of the scan, you can use filters and remove possible aging marks from the file with editing, which is the app's greatest advantage. Interested in this app? Just click on the button below and download it to your device!
Microsoft Office Lens
Microsoft Office Lens is a free app developed by Microsoft that can also be an excellent choice for those who need applications to scan documents. Once you've finished scanning your file, it will offer you the possibility of exporting it to OneNote, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Word and also just saving it to your phone's gallery.
Compared to the others mentioned, this one has a feature that allows the user to transform scanned images into text, which can be very useful for those who need something like that. The app also has a paid version called Microsoft 365 which releases annotations on the PDF file scanned via OneDrive to OneNote.
The app's purchase prices can vary from R$ 0.99 to R$ 449.00, freeing the user from ads and allowing file editing, but it is one of the most affordable document scanning apps. Like this option? Download the app for your mobile by clicking the button below!
CamScanner
Of all the document scanning apps listed, CamScanner is one of the most popular. It's available for Android and iOS users on both the Playstore and Apple Store, and its functionalities are very complete in terms of what it proposes, with an easy-to-understand interface, which is a plus for it.
CamScanner gives users the chance to turn a document into a PDF just by pointing the camera at it. It can also extract text from some images and make annotations on the file. Its basic functions are free, but there is the possibility of making in-app purchases ranging from R$ 1.49 to R$ 1,499.00, unlocking features such as merging several documents into one and storing your electronic signature. Want to check it out for yourself? The button below will take you to the app download!
Scanbot
Scanbot is not very different from CamScanner in general terms, with very similar functions. What sets it apart among document scanning applications is that the images it generates tend to have a much better resolution than any of the others on this list, making the things written in the document more legible and the visual figures sharper.
Another interesting feature of the app is that it can send PDF documents to online cloud storage services such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and Evernote. Its interface is also simple to use and there are no additional costs for its basic functions, but, like CamScanner, it also has features that are released through in-app purchases for prices between R$ 2.50 and R$ 559.90, such as editing the PDFs generated, and it is available for Android and iOS. See for yourself by clicking one of the buttons below!
Genius Scan
Genius Scan sets out to be the ultimate document scanning application. It's as if it had studied Scanbot and CamScanner to absorb their best features in order to be developed, being able to scan documents with excellent image quality in an extremely easy-to-access interface.
Genius Scan can be downloaded from both the PlayStore and the AppleStore and its unique feature is that you can choose the size of the document pages. With it, files that would look better on A5 sheets than A4, such as bank payment slips, can be changed without any problems.
Images can also be saved in JPG and not just PDF. This app is free, but it also has an in-app purchase scheme ranging from R$ 5.50 to R$ 199.90, unlocking features such as more advanced editing options for the PDFs generated. Interested? Just click on the button below to get it on your mobile device!
Conclusion
At the end of the day, each of the applications for scanning documents will have its pros and cons and it will be up to the user to analyze what they offer in order to decide which will best meet their needs. But what about you? Which one do you think will be your choice in view of what we've pointed out in this article? Let us know in the comments! Also check out our text on how to recover deleted video on your cell phone and the video we've put together for you below!
Questions that might interest you:
Which document scanning app for Android do you recommend?
Overall, CamScanner is the most popular app among Android users for scanning documents.
How can I scan quality documents on my PC?
Using a printer that can scan documents.
