Once, desktop scanners were your only option for scanning important documents and pieces of paper. They were large, cumbersome, and almost always temperamental when it came to doing anything correctly. Now, your humble smartphone will happily fulfill that role. Here are 10 apps that make it easy to scan important files, no matter where you are.
1 of 10
![]()
1. Genius Scan (Free) - Genius Scan is a very simple app to use, with one key aim: to make scanning fast and effective. It offers smart page detection, perspective correction, as well as image enhancement. You can easily create a PDF from your scanned documents, or you can opt for a JPEG copy. Searching tools are available, as well as extensive exporting functions.
2 of 10
![]()
2. Tiny Scanner (Free) - Tiny Scanner enables you to scan in color, grayscale or black and white, speeding up the process, depending on what you need it to do. Five levels of contrast are available so text is clear no matter what you choose. You can easily search through document titles, too, along with a thumbnail or list view for easy consultation. Passcode protection completes the package.
3 of 10
![]()
3. iScanner (Free) - iScanner's jewel in the crown is how it'll allow you to sync between devices, as well as across different file sharing services. You can enhance the images you scan, remove shadows and noise, as well as enjoy automatic perspective correction. There's a full file management side to the app too, so you won't be overwhelmed.
4 of 10
![]()
4. CamScanner (Free) - To get the most from CamScanner, you'll need to pay up for an in-app purchase or two, but it's still pretty useful. The app offers the usual enhancement options, but also provides an OCR feature meaning it'll extract text from a single page for you to edit separately. You can also fax documents from within the app for that rare time you still need the facility.
5 of 10
![]()
5. Scanbot (Free) - Scanbot scans a little bit of everything. It'll scan your documents, barcodes, as well as QR codes for maximum efficiency. With an upgrade via an in-app purchase, you can enjoy text recognition features, extra password protection and the choice of adding pages to existing scans. There's even full-text search options for searching through every part of your newly scanned document.
6 of 10
![]()
6. InstaPDF (Free) - With one tap scanning, InstaPDF does the rest, with autocropping tools getting the perspective and look just right. Alongside that, you can easily add a signature to any relevant document, before syncing it across various devices. Mac users will appreciate the Mac app's ability to provide a drag and drop interface. It streamlines the process all the more effectively.
7 of 10
![]()
7. PDFpen Scan+ ($6.99) - PDFpen Scan+ offers touch-free scanning, detecting the pages automatically and doing its thing. Once scanned, it can then perform OCR in 18 different languages, ensuring you've got a very flexible tool at hand. Auto-exporting to iCloud and Dropbox means you'll never have to worry about losing anything important too.
8 of 10
![]()
8. FineScanner (Free) - FineScanner's unique feature is how it'll scan the pages of books if you want it to. That makes it a particularly valuable tool for those studying, as you can easily scan in pages before using OCR to turn it into editable text. It's the ideal way to make searching through a huge tome that bit easier. Auto-capturing makes it even quicker.
9 of 10
![]()
9. Evernote Scannable (Free) - Evernote generally has a solution for everything, and that's the case when it comes to scanning. Straight forward and to the point, it's easy to scan various documents or receipts with the app. Automatically rotating, cropping, and adjusting the images means they're easy to read. The beauty here is that it'll all tie into your Evernote account seamlessly, ensuring you can easily go paperless, as well as turn your business cards into full phone contacts.
10 of 10
![]()
10. Scanner Pro 7 ($3.99) - Scanner Pro offers the typical bevy of features, such as fast scanning, image processing and text recognition. Where it stands out is how it'll allow for multiple sharing actions. You can send an email, upload to Dropbox, and save elsewhere, all at the touch of a button. For a productivity focused app, this can be a real game changer for those with limited time and plenty to scan.