How to scan documents to PDF on iPhone and iPad

iPhones have excellent cameras, which makes them great document scanners — as long as the photo is cropped, straightened and cleaned up before it becomes a PDF. Here are the best ways to do it.

Option 1: Osd-Scan in Safari (no install)

1. Open Safari and go to osd-scan.com/scan.
2. Tap Scan with camera and allow camera access.
3. Hold the iPhone over the page. A blue outline appears around the paper.
4. Hold steady — the photo is taken automatically.
5. Place the next page and keep going; tap Done when finished.
6. Adjust any page if needed and tap Save PDF. The file goes to Files › Downloads.

Because processing happens inside Safari, your documents never leave the phone.

Option 2: The Osd-Scan app for iOS

The app works the same way with a few extras: scans are saved to Files › On My iPhone › Osd-Scan, you get Quick Look previews, and you can open PDFs from other apps with Share › Osd-Scan. In the camera, tap System if you prefer Apple's built-in document camera.

Option 3: Apple Notes or Files

Apple includes a scanner in Notes (tap the camera icon › Scan Documents) and in Files (tap the three dots › Scan Documents). It's handy for a quick scan, but you get fewer filters, no curved-page flattening and no PDF tools afterwards. Osd-Scan adds OCR in 24 languages, compression, signing and password protection in the same place.

Tips for sharp iPhone scans

• Turn off Live Photos and Portrait mode in the regular camera if you take photos to scan later.
• Wipe the lens — especially on newer iPhones with large camera bumps.
• Avoid the flash; it causes glare on glossy paper.
• Use a dark background so the edges stand out.

More in tips for perfect phone scans.

Turning existing photos into a PDF

Already took photos of the pages? Open Scan to PDF, tap Import photos or PDF and pick the photos from your library. Each one is detected, cropped and enhanced just like a live scan. HEIC photos from the iPhone camera are supported in Safari — see how to convert HEIC photos to PDF.

Finish the job on your iPhone

• Merge PDFs into one file
• Compress a large scan for email
• Sign a document with your finger
• Add page numbers to a long scan
• Lock it with a password

With the right tool, an iPhone replaces a scanner, a copy shop and a desktop PDF editor — and keeps your documents private.