How to Scan Documents on Android

Turn a paper document into a PDF with the Scanner tool. Capture the page, refine the crop and review the result before saving.

By RNK Labs · October 30, 2026 · 4 steps

Screenshots show the English app interface. Translated button names may differ from the labels in the images.

STEP 01 / 04

Open Scanner

On the home screen, find the Scan section and tap Scanner. Keep the rear camera pointed at your document. If Android requests camera permission, allow it to take the scan.

Tap Scanner in the Scan section of the app home screen. Click to enlarge.

STEP 02 / 04

Photograph your document

Place the whole page inside the camera view. Hold the phone steady and keep it parallel to the page. Use the flash control if needed, and tap the Photograph Document shutter button. Avoid shadows, glare and fingers covering the text.

Generated sample document to photograph. This is an example image, not a camera screenshot. Click to enlarge.

STEP 03 / 04

Crop and review the scan

Drag the corner handles to match the document edges and tap Next Step. In Review, choose the paper size and orientation, adjust the page placement, and use brightness and contrast to improve legibility.

The shared crop controls are illustrated with a demo image. Drag the corners to the document edges. Click to enlarge.

STEP 04 / 04

Save your scan as PDF

Tap Save PDF, choose a destination and file name in Android’s save dialog, and confirm. When the save completes, use View to inspect the PDF. Check that small text is readable before sharing.

Example of the shared PDF save confirmation, illustrated with the demo image conversion. Click to enlarge.

Tips for a better result

Photograph one clearly framed page at a time.
Retake a blurry photo; brightness controls cannot restore missing detail.
For multiple saved PDFs, use Merge to combine them.

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