How to scan documents with your phone (Android and iPhone)
Updated 11 October 2026
You do not need a scanner or a cyber cafe to upload documents for an exam or job form. A phone camera plus a free scanning app produces clean, flat, cropped PDFs. The difference between a good scan and a rejected one is mostly lighting and how you hold the phone.
Why use a scan app instead of the camera
A normal photo of a certificate has a tilted page, the table showing around it, uneven light and a large file size. A scanning app detects the edges of the paper, straightens the page as if you shot it from directly above, crops away the background, boosts contrast so the paper looks white, and saves straight to PDF. That is exactly what a verifying officer wants to see.
Android: Google Drive
- Open the Google Drive app (installed on most Android phones).
- Tap the + (New) button and choose Scan.
- Point at the document. The app finds the edges; take the photo.
- Adjust the crop corners if needed, then add more pages with the + icon for multi-page documents.
- Save. Drive stores it as a PDF, which you can download to your phone.
Many Android phones also have a scanner built into the camera app or the manufacturer's file manager. Menus change between versions, so if you do not see a Scan option, search your phone's help pages or simply use Drive.
iPhone: Notes or Files
- Notes app: open or create a note, tap the camera (attachment) icon and choose Scan Documents. Capture each page, tap Save, then use the Share button to send it as a PDF or save it to Files.
- Files app: go to a folder, tap the three-dot (More) menu and choose Scan Documents. The finished scan is saved straight into that folder as a PDF.
Both apps offer filters: Colour, Greyscale, Black & White and Photo. You can change the filter for each page before saving.
Getting a clean scan
Lighting
- Use daylight near a window or a bright, even room light. Avoid a single bulb directly overhead, which puts your own shadow and the phone's shadow on the page.
- Turn off the flash for glossy or laminated documents such as Aadhaar PVC cards and laminated mark sheets. Flash creates a white glare patch that hides text.
Flatness
- Place the document on a dark, plain surface. A contrasting background helps the app find the edges.
- Unfold creases and, if needed, hold corners down with coins outside the page area.
- Hold the phone parallel to the page, not at an angle. The app can straighten small tilts, but strong angles stretch the letters.
Cropping
Check that all four corners are inside the crop and that no stamp, signature or serial number is cut off. Officers reject certificates where the issuing authority's seal is missing. Equally, crop out the bedsheet or table: background pixels add to file size for no benefit.
Black & white, greyscale or colour?
| Filter | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Black & White | Typed letters, printed forms, plain text certificates | Can make faint stamps, signatures and photos disappear or turn into blobs |
| Greyscale | Most mark sheets, certificates and ID proofs | Good default: readable and small |
| Colour | When the notice asks for colour, or a coloured seal, hologram or photo must be visible | Largest files; usually needs compressing |
If the notice says "colour scan of original", use colour. If it says nothing, greyscale is a safe choice for most documents.
Worked example: three pages for a 300 KB limit
Say a state recruitment form wants your caste certificate (1 page) and domicile certificate (2 pages) as separate PDFs, each up to 300 KB. You scan in colour and get 1.1 MB and 2.4 MB.
- Caste certificate: 1 page, budget about 280 KB. Re-scan in greyscale, or run it through Compress PDF at medium quality; a single greyscale page usually lands well under 280 KB.
- Domicile certificate: 2 pages, budget about 280 KB, so roughly 140 KB per page. Greyscale at about 150 DPI normally fits.
Always open the final file and zoom in to check names, dates and seals are readable. The guide on compressing scanned PDFs explains the settings in detail.
Saving as PDF vs JPG
Read the notice carefully. Photos and signatures are almost always JPG. Certificates and ID proofs are often PDF, but some portals want JPG even for documents. If you scanned to PDF and need a JPG, use PDF to JPG; if you took photos and need one PDF, use JPG to PDF.
Quick checklist before you upload
- All four edges visible, page straight, no fingers in frame.
- Name, roll number, dates and seal readable at 100% zoom.
- Pages in the right order; no blank pages.
- File type and size match the notice.
- File name is sensible, for example
caste-certificate.pdf, with no special characters.
Questions people ask
- How do I scan a document to PDF on Android?
- Open Google Drive, tap the + button, choose Scan, photograph each page and save. Drive saves the scan as a PDF you can download.
- How do I scan a document on iPhone?
- In the Notes app, tap the camera icon and choose Scan Documents, or in the Files app use the three-dot menu and choose Scan Documents. Both save a PDF.
- Should I scan certificates in colour or black and white?
- Greyscale is a good default: readable and small. Use colour if the notice asks for it or if a coloured seal or photo must be visible; plain black and white can erase faint stamps.
- Why does my scanned document have a white patch?
- That is flash glare, usually on laminated or glossy documents. Turn off the flash and use bright, indirect daylight instead.
- Is a phone scan acceptable for government forms?
- Generally yes, as long as the scan is clear, complete and in the format and size the notice specifies. The notice for your exam is the final word.