What to Know
- A simple hack is to use the Camera app to photograph your printed memories.
- You can also scan the photo using your iPhone Notes app.
- There are also great third-party apps for scanningprinted photos.
The best way to scan pictures is by using an old-fashioned scanner. However, there isn’t always one at hand when we need to digitize photos. Luckily, it is possible to scan photos with your iPhone camera;all you need isgood lighting. There are also more professional photo scanner apps available to make scanning photos a breeze.
Related:
How to Scan a Photo on an iPhone with the Camera, Notes App & Third-Party Apps
Want to digitize photos, but don't have a flatbedpicture scanner? We'll show you how to use your iPhone as a photo scanner, including how to use the Camera app to scan a photo on an iPhone, and how toscan withan iPhone using the Notes app. We'll also introduce you to the best apps for scanning photos, as well as editing your scanned pictures. To learn more about how to digitize photos with Apple devices, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.
Discover your iPhone's hidden features
Get one daily tip each day (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.
Jump To:
- How to Scan Pictures on an iPhone
- How to Scan Photos Using the Notes App
- iPhonePhoto Scanning Tips
- Best Photo Scanner Apps
How to Scan Pictures on an iPhone
Scanning photos is great for convertingprint images to digital; however, if you want to transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone, read this.If you don’t have a photo scanning app, you can still scan photos with an iPhone; it's as easy as opening your Camera app. To get started scanning photos on an iPhone, go to a well-lit area, lay your photo down on a flat surface and hold your phone straight above it, then:
- Open the Camera app.
- Position your iPhone correctly. Make sure tokeep it perfectly parallel to the photo and not at an angle. The iPhone camera even has a grid you can enable to make taking overhead photos easier
- Tap the Shutter button to take the photo.
Learn more about how to take perfect overheard photos using the Grid function to line up the white and yellow crosshairs.
How to Scan Photos Using the Notes App
Now we'll go over how to scan a picture on an iPhone using the Notes app. We cover how to scan a document on an iPhonewith the Notes app in a separate article. To scan photos with the iPhone Notes app:
- Open the Notes app.
- Tap the Create New Note icon in the bottom-rightcorner.
- Tap the Plus iconto see the options menu.
- Select the Camera icon.
- Tap Scan Documents.
- Tap the Shutter button to scan the photo.
- Crop as necessary by dragging the corners to meet the edges of the photo.
- Select Keep Scan if you are satisfied. Tap Retake if you need to try again.
- Tap Done at the upper-right cornerto save the note.
iPhone Photo Scanning Tips
There are a few tips that will teach you how to scan on the iPhone as if you were using a scanner. The photo must lay on a flat surface and the iPhone should be held parallel to it. You have to keep your hands steady to avoid blurs and maintain the right distance for the best quality. It is also important to consider lighting, iPhone position, glare control, shadows, flash, and Camera app settings.
Lighting
When using your iPhone to scan photos, lighting is incredibly important. Natural light is the best, although a bright white-light lamp can also work. Consider where the light is coming from when positioning your phone to avoid shadows. When you scan a photo on an iPhone, don't do itdirectly under the light, because your phone will cast a shadow.
Phone Settings
If you are using the Camera app to scan the photo, make sure you are using Photo Mode and not Portrait Mode. Additionally, make sure that you are not zoomed in or zoomed out, to avoid distortion of any kind. If you are having trouble focusing, tap the screen on one of the faces in the photo. You can also hold your upper arms and elbows against the sides of your body to minimize shaking. You may need to move the phone further away to take a better quality photo—this will require you to crop it later,but can result in a better photo scan.
Your iPhone will automatically adjust to the best settings for the perfect photo. However, sometimes you may wish to change them to suit your needs. To edit scanned pictures:
- Open the Camera app.
- Tap the arrowon top of the screen to open the settings menu below.
- Adjust the settings to turn off flash, disable Live Photos and consider raising the exposure as necessary.
How to Reduce Glare
Reducing glare can be tricky but all it takes is altering the position of the photo. Especially since most photos are printed on shiny paper, you may need to experiment with different locations where you have enough light without the glare. It can also help to move farther away from the photo and even tilt the iPhone slightly. If you resort to this, you will need to crop the photo later on.
Best Photo Scanner Apps
The best way to scan pictures on an iPhone is by taking advantage of a third-party scanning app. Here are the best apps for scanning photos, as well as editing your scanned pictures.
1. PhotoScan by Google Photos (Free)
PhotoScan is a free app that takes scanning photos to the next level. It provides step-by-step instructions, automatically crops and enhances the photos, andit has a toggle for glare removal. The app even offers perspective correction, smart rotation, and edge detection. The scanned photos are then stored on the free Google Photos app and can be shared from there in just one click.
2. Photo Scan App by Photomyne (Free or $39.99/Year)
Phtomyne is another great option that features the option to scan multiple photos with just one shot. This makes scanning an entire photo album a stress-free task. The app automatically detects picture boundaries, rotates sideways photos, and crops them. There is also automatic enhancement as well as some amazing add-ons with the paid subscription.
The paid subscription costs $39.99 a year, and it allows allow you to add stories to each photo either via typed text or voice recording. You can also tag faces, apply photo filters, and even colorize your black and white photos!
3. Pic Scanner ($3.99)
Pic Scanner claims to be the world’s first app to scan and crop multiple photos per click. For a one-time fee of $3.99, the app offers unlimited use of all the features,including photo editing tools, filters, automatic perspective correction, and photo captions. Once you scan photos, you can add them to albums and slideshows without limitation. Another perk is that it doesn’t need an internet connection to function.
Learning how to scan pictures on an iPhone doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as learning to use the Camera app that is already on your phone. In order to save yourself some time on editing, consider a third-party app. Photo scanner apps can scan multiple photos at once and enhance them automatically, turning your physical album into a social media post in just a few clicks.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to readFixed: iPhone Notes Disappeared, and.
Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.
FAQs
How to Scan Photos on an iPhone (iOS 16)? ›
With the new iOS 16 Lock Screen widgets, you can perform different tasks like view, search, and scan documents from the lock screen and access them easily from there.
Does iOS 16 have a scanner? ›With the new iOS 16 Lock Screen widgets, you can perform different tasks like view, search, and scan documents from the lock screen and access them easily from there.
Does iOS 15 scan my photos? ›Apple initially planned to include the Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) scanning technology in iOS 15; it has instead indefinitely delayed the feature's rollout to solicit feedback before its full release.
What does iPhone iOS 16 have? ›iOS 16 brings a redesigned Lock Screen with new ways to customize and widgets for information at a glance. Link your Lock Screen to a Focus and use Focus filters to filter out distracting content in apps. Big updates to Messages let you edit or unsend a message you just sent.
Can Apple scan my iPhone photos? ›Because Apple only scans photos uploaded to iCloud, you can choose to opt out of the new feature by disabling iCloud storage for your photos. Follow these steps to disable iCloud Photos: Open your iPhone or iPad and go to Settings.
Did Apple stop scanning photos? ›Why Apple Canceled Its Plan to Scan iCloud Photos. After the initial announcement in 2021, Apple faced backlash from customers, groups, and individuals advocating for digital privacy and security worldwide. iPhones typically offer more security than Android devices, and many viewed this as a step back.
Is Apple checking your photos? ›Apple says it won't be looking at the pictures. Instead, it will convert the image data into code called hashes. The hashes of your photos will be compared with the hashes of known CSAM images in a database. If the hashes are a match, Apple will be notified.
Does iOS 16 have CSAM? ›Apple initially said CSAM detection would be implemented in an update to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 by the end of 2021, but the company ultimately postponed the feature based on "feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers, and others." Now, after a year of silence, Apple has abandoned the CSAM detection plans ...
How do I extract text from an image in iOS 16? ›Copy text in a photo, video, or image
Open the Photos app and select a photo or video, or select an image online. Touch and hold a word and move the grab points to adjust the selection. If the text is in a video, pause the video first. Tap Copy.
Apple's iOS 16 allows you to both edit your iMessages and unsend them in specified time windows. If the recipient is still using an older version of iOS, they will receive the original message and get an alert about the edit.
Does iOS have a built in scanner? ›
If you're wondering how to scan documents on your iPhone, you may not know that your iPhone has a native scanner automatically on your phone in the Notes app. While this scanner doesn't require you to download another app (even if it's free, like Adobe Scan), it also doesn't convert your scanned documents into PDFs.
Does iOS have a image scanner? ›Scan Photos to a PDF File. One of the quickest ways to scan photos with an iPhone is to use the scan feature built into the Files app. Scanning pictures this way is quick and easy.
What features does iOS 16 have compared to iOS 15? ›iOS 15 vs iOS 16: Photos
iOS 16 unveiled at WWDC 2022 includes new features like a configurable lock screen with live widgets, a redesigned notification system, new Messages modifications, and more. It'll be available later this year, albeit not everyone who owns an iPhone will be able to upgrade.
Designed with an array of security programs, tools and features, you may be wondering, do iPhones need antivirus software, too? Apple's operating system (iOS) provides iPhones and other Apple devices with security features that make it extremely difficult for malware to infiltrate.