Using the iOS Notes App to Scan Documents

Sometimes individuals encounter hard copies of documents, such as a paper-based form, that need to be scanned and converted into a digital format. Some individuals might need or prefer to annotate a digital version of that document.

If the individual has an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch running iOS version 10.0 or late, the iOS Notes app can be used to scan documents. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Notes app
  2. Select the camera icon at the bottom of the screen.
  3. In the menu that appears, select Scan Documents.
  4. Position the document in view and select the white shutter button to scan the document.
  5. You can choose to Retake or Keep Scan. Drag the corners to crop the scan if needed.
  6. If you choose to keep the scan, a prompt will appear saying Ready for next scan. If it’s only a one-page document, select Save. If it has multiple pages, repeat steps 4 and 5 for each page.
  7. You will see thumbnails of your scanned pages at the bottom of the screen. When you have scanned all of the pages, select Save. Then, select Done.
  8. When you look at your Notes, you will see your scanned document, which is automatically saved as a PDF file. You can Send a Copy via email, text message, or AirDrop. Your copy can then be uploaded to Google Drive or Schoology. Another option is to Save to Files, including your iCloud account.

LCPS staff and students have access to TextHelp’s OrbitNote Chrome extension. If your scanned PDF is uploaded to Google Drive or Schoology, you can use OrbitNote to edit the document by adding text, drawings, and more.

Check out the following videos for more information on using the Notes app for scanning, including some advanced features.

Happy scanning!