Digitizing your physical photos has never been easier, thanks to the power of your iPhone. No need for bulky scanners; your iPhone’s camera, combined with built-in apps, transforms into a portable photo scanner. Whether you want to preserve old family photos, archive important documents as images, or simply share physical prints digitally, your iPhone provides a convenient solution. This guide will walk you through the simple steps on how to scan photos on your iPhone using the versatile Notes and Files apps.
Scanning Photos with the Notes App
The Notes app, pre-installed on every iPhone, is more than just a note-taking tool. It also features a handy document scanning function that works perfectly for photos as well. Here’s how to use it:
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Open Notes and Start a New Note: Launch the Notes app and either select an existing note or tap the “New Note” icon to begin a fresh one.
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Access the Scan Feature: Look for the Attachment button (it resembles a “+” sign within a circle, or an icon showing a paperclip). Tap it, and from the options that appear, select “Scan Documents”.
This is the Scan Documents icon in the iOS Notes app menu. Tap this to start the photo scanning process on your iPhone.
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Position Your Photo: Place the photo you want to scan on a flat, well-lit surface. Frame the photo within the camera view on your iPhone screen.
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Capture the Scan: If your iPhone is in Auto mode (the default setting), it will automatically detect the photo and scan it. You’ll see a yellow box outlining the scanned area. If you prefer manual control, tap the Shutter button (the white circle at the bottom) or press either of the Volume buttons to capture the scan.
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Adjust and Keep Scan: After capturing, you might need to adjust the corners of the scan to precisely fit the photo’s edges. Drag the circles at each corner to refine the selection. Once satisfied, tap “Keep Scan”.
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Save or Add More Photos: Tap “Save” to finalize the scan and insert it into your note. If you have more photos to scan, tap “Rescan” to add additional scans to the same note, creating a multi-page scanned document of your photos.
In Notes with iOS, you can scan documents with your iPhone camera.This image shows the iPhone Notes app interface while scanning a document, illustrating how easy it is to scan photos using your iPhone camera within the Notes application.
Alternatively, within an open note, you can also tap the More button (three dots in a circle, usually in the top right corner) and then select “Scan” to initiate the scanning process.
Scanning Photos Using the Files App
The Files app offers another straightforward method to scan photos directly into your iPhone’s file system or iCloud Drive. Here’s how:
- Open Files and Access Scan: Launch the Files app. Tap “Browse” at the bottom, and then tap “More” (the three dots in a circle, usually at the top right). From the menu, select “Scan Documents”.
- Scan Your Photo: Follow the same steps as with the Notes app: position your photo, let Auto mode scan or manually capture, adjust corners, and tap “Keep Scan”.
- Save Your Scanned Photo: Tap “Save” to save the scanned photo as a PDF document within the Files app. You’ll be prompted to choose a location to save the file, such as iCloud Drive or “On My iPhone”.
Conclusion
Scanning photos on your iPhone is remarkably simple and efficient with both the Notes and Files apps. These built-in tools eliminate the need for extra equipment and allow you to quickly digitize your cherished photos, ensuring they are safely backed up and easily shareable in the digital world. Start scanning your photos today and enjoy the convenience of having them right on your iPhone.
