How to scan documents on iPhone and save them as PDFs

The method above allows you to scan a document into Notes, which is useful if you want to store your scans in Notes. But what if you’d rather save it as a PDF?

1. Open a Note containing a scanned document.
2. Tap the little down arrow next to the name of your scanned document.
3. Choose Save to Files.
4. Select a folder within Files in which to save a PDF of the scan.
5. Give the file a name (and tags if you wish) by tapping at the bottom of the screen.

This will save the scan as a PDF in that location on your iPhone.

Now that you have your PDF scanned onto your iPhone it is easy to fill it in. In fact, your iPhone can even use AutoFill to complete some parts of the PDF.

1. Open a PDF (scanned or otherwise) in Files and you’ll see an option to Autofill Form. This will detect fields and fill them in with your name, address, phone number, etc. as long as they are filled out in your Contact card. See how to autofill passwords, names and addresses.
2. Tap any highlighted field to fill it in with text. Tap the “fill in fields” button at the bottom to enter this mode at any time.
3. Tap the markup/pen icon at the bottom to freely draw on the PDF — to sign your name, for example.
4. Use the drawing tools to write on the screen to sign your name or mark up the PDF in other ways.

You might find it easier to fill in a PDF on a Mac, read: How to edit a PDF on Mac.

1. Turn on some lights. Taking any photo in a well-lit area makes things clearer.
2. Try to place your document on a dark background, like a dark table or floor. Your phone should be able to clearly detect the edges.
3. Take the scan from directly above the documents, centered and facing straight down.
4. If you find the auto-scan feature to be too sensitive, just turn it off and use the shutter button. This is especially useful if your document has multiple pages.