How to scan a document on iPhone and send it as a PDF

You can turn a paper form, receipt or letter into a PDF with the apps already on your iPhone. You do not need to subscribe to a scanner app for an occasional document.

Use Files if you want a document you can find in a folder and attach to an email. Use Notes if you want to keep the scan alongside your own notes. These instructions follow Apple’s current guidance; button labels can differ slightly on older iOS versions.

Before you start

Put the paper on a flat surface in good light. A darker background helps you see the edges of white paper. Move anything private out of the surrounding area, and avoid a bright reflection across the text.

A scan is different from an ordinary photograph. The document-scanning tool captures the page boundaries and lets you correct the crop. In Notes, the result is a PDF. Taking a picture in Camera leaves you with a photo instead. Also, choose Scan Documents, not Scan Text: the latter inserts recognised text into a note rather than preserving the page as a document. Apple explains the two scanning options here.

1. Scan straight into Files

1. Open Files and browse to a folder or location.
2. Tap More, shown as three dots, then Scan Documents.
3. Hold the phone over the page. Automatic capture can take the scan for you. For manual capture, use the shutter button; adjust the corners if necessary and keep the scan.
4. Capture any remaining pages before finishing. Keep them in the order you want the recipient to read them.
5. Tap Done, choose the saving location and tap Save.

That final Save matters: finishing the camera step and choosing where to keep the document are separate steps in Apple’s Files scanning instructions.

2. Or scan into Notes

1. Open a new or existing note in Notes.
2. Tap the Attachments button, then Scan Documents.
3. Capture each page. If automatic capture is unhelpful, switch it off and use the capture button. Correct the corners, then choose Keep or Keep Scan, depending on your version.
4. Finish with Done. The PDF appears inside the note.

To work with that attachment, open its menu. You can use Quick Look for a full-screen view, or choose the PDF’s sharing action. Share the document itself rather than inviting someone to collaborate on the whole note. Apple’s PDF guide shows the attachment controls.

3. Check and send the document

Open the saved file and inspect every page before sending. Zoom in on small print, check that nothing has been cut off, and look for missing backs of double-sided pages. A neat thumbnail can hide an unreadable paragraph.

For a file saved in Files, touch and hold it, then choose Share. Select Mail, Messages or AirDrop as appropriate and check the recipient before sending. This sends a copy; it is different from granting access to a shared folder. See Apple’s file-sending instructions.

Give the document a recognisable name, such as “Boiler receipt October 2026”. Avoid putting account numbers or other unnecessary personal details in the filename.

If something goes wrong

• The scanner misses the edge: straighten the paper, change the background or capture manually and adjust the corners.
• The text looks grey or blurred: improve the lighting and retake that page rather than sending a barely legible copy.
• You cannot find the scan: check the folder you selected in Files, or the note you scanned into. These are different destinations.
• An upload rejects it: check the recipient’s permitted file type and size. Do not rename a photo’s extension to PDF; that does not convert it.

Keep private paperwork private

Choose the saving location deliberately, especially if you use shared folders. For sensitive paperwork, use the recipient’s official secure upload service when available. There is no need to send a passport or medical letter to an unfamiliar online converter just to scan it.

Instructions checked against Apple documentation on 22 October 2026. This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on product test.