How to scan a document with an Android phone

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open the Google Drive app, tap the camera button at the bottom right, hold the phone over the page and tap the shutter. Adjust the edges, add more pages and tap Done. The scan is saved to Drive as a PDF.

The Google Drive app that comes with most Android phones contains a good document scanner. It straightens the page, removes shadows and saves a PDF you can share.

Step by step

  1. Open Google Drive

    Sign in with your Google Account if asked.

  2. Tap the camera button

    It sits above the plus button in the bottom right corner. On older versions, tap the plus button and choose Scan.

  3. Capture the page

    Lay the paper flat on a dark surface in good light. The app finds the edges and can capture automatically. Otherwise tap the shutter.

  4. Clean it up

    Use Crop and rotate to fix the edges, Filter to switch between colour and black and white, and Clean to remove stains or finger shadows.

  5. Add pages and save

    Tap the plus icon for the next page. Tap Done, name the file, choose the folder and tap Save.

Good to know

To send it, open the file in Drive, tap the three dots and choose Send a copy.

The Files by Google app has the same scanner under Scan, and saves the PDF on the phone without uploading it.

Samsung phones can also scan from the Camera: point it at a document and tap the yellow Scan button.

To join several scans or shrink a PDF for an upload form, use our free tools: Merge PDF and Compress PDF.

In short: Google Drive, camera button, capture, Done, Save.

Sources
  • Google Drive Help: Scan documents with Google Drive

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