How to scan documents to PDF with your phone
Updated 4 min readBy Total PDF Tools
Quick answer
To scan a document with your phone, open Scan to PDF in your mobile browser (or the Total PDF Tools app), allow camera access and photograph each page. Drag the four corners to the edges of the paper to straighten it, choose a filter such as Black & White for text, and save all pages as one PDF in A4, Letter or the photo's own size. The camera feed and photos are processed on your device only.
Open Scan to PDFStep by step
- 1
Open Scan to PDF
Open the Scan to PDF tool on your phone and allow camera access when asked.
- 2
Capture each page
Place the paper on a dark, plain surface in good light and take a photo of each page.
- 3
Straighten and filter
Drag the corners to the paper's edges, then pick Enhance for colour, Grayscale, or Black & White for text.
- 4
Save as PDF
Choose the page size and save. All pages are combined into one PDF.
Tips for clean scans
A few habits make phone scans look professional:
- Contrast helps edge detection: white paper on a dark table works best.
- Shoot from directly above, holding the phone parallel to the page.
- Avoid flash glare on glossy paper; use daylight or a lamp from the side.
- Black & White gives the smallest and most readable files for text.
After scanning
Run the scan through OCR PDF to make the text searchable, and through Compress PDF if you need to fit an upload limit.
Using the mobile app
The Total PDF Tools app for Android and iOS includes a document scanner with automatic edge detection, plus the same PDF tools, and works offline. Files stay on your phone unless you choose to back them up to cloud storage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install an app to scan?
No. Scan to PDF works in your phone's browser. The app adds offline use and automatic edge detection if you prefer it.
Can I scan with a laptop webcam?
Yes. Scan to PDF works with any camera your browser can access, though a phone camera usually gives sharper results.
Are my scans uploaded?
No. Photos are processed on your device and only saved where you choose.