Few people have a scanner at home. This is not a device worth investing in if you rarely scan documents. But what if you need to scan something urgently, and you don’t have access to, say, an office or other places where there is a scanner?
There is a simple solution – use a free scanner app for iOS or Android on your smartphone. In this article, we will look at the most popular scanning apps and their functions, explain how to convert a PDF to Word, and make your smartphone into a pocket office.
1. Apple Notes
If you’re an iPhone user, chances are you use Apple Notes frequently. It’s preinstalled on all iOS devices. But you may not know that this is not only a great place for keeping important information, but also a surprisingly effective scanning app. You only need to tap on the camera icon, choose the scanning option, and follow the prompts. The app automatically syncs all your scans with iCloud, so all the important files can be accessed from other devices.
For occasional use, like scanning receipts or business cards, Apple Notes is probably sufficient. But for those who need more features, this might not be an option. For instance, character recognition is limited, you can only export PDFs and raw text, and you won’t be able to make a PDF from a photo.
2. PDF Scanner App
If you regularly scan passports, IDs, receipts, letters, bills or other important documents and quality is crucial – this app is your go to. You can complete many tasks just using your smartphone, no outdated technology is needed.
With a PDF Scanner App you can have a small office in your pocket, scan documents in a matter of seconds and convert them to many common formats. The process of scanning is very simple: just point your smartphone’s camera at the document you need to scan – the app will recognize and scan it automatically. Any third party can’t have access to your files. Also, loss of the Internet connection will not have any impact on your access to the documents.
This scanner app allows you to transform a PDF to Word free of hassle and get accurate results. Making a PDF from photo will only take seconds – just download it and try. Color and perspective correction is available. With PDF Scanner App you get effective text recognition, good object ruler and counter, excellent file management with folders and tags, quick document sharing and utmost safety. You can easily secure your files with e-signature, face ID, watermarks, or passwords.
3. Adobe Scan
This free scanner app for iPhone and Android is a great option if you need a simple scan. Users claim that it works perfectly and scans come out looking excellent. Moreover, your scanned files are automatically saved on Adobe Document Cloud. You will be able to access them from any other device. The app is free and user-friendly.
If you’re wondering how to convert a PDF to Word and Excel documents, Adobe Scan would be helpful. With a Premium subscription at $10 per month, you can have extra storage and easily export scans as Word and Excel files. It’s also possible to convert any photo or picture to PDF.
4. SwiftScan
SwiftScan offers a lot of useful features and has many advantages over other apps, but only if you’re willing to pay for a quality scan app for iPhone or Android. These benefits include better organization with custom folders, iCloud syncing for iOS, smart file naming and many other features. You can also upload scans to a range of common cloud services.
SwiftScan is able to perform optical character recognition (OCR) in dozens of languages and produce neat scans in different formats, convert a picture to PDF, etc. The app does a very accurate job in the vast majority of cases, which makes it stand out among other similar. ar tools. However, the subscription is not cheap ($5 per month or $25 per year for Android and $8 per month or $40 per year for iOS), so this app is more suitable for those who need scans on a regular basis.
Few people have a scanner at home. This is not a device worth investing in if you rarely scan documents. But what if you need to scan something urgently, and you don’t have access to, say, an office or other places where there is a scanner?
There is a simple solution – use a free scanner app for iOS or Android on your smartphone. In this article, we will look at the most popular scanning apps and their functions, explain how to convert a PDF to Word and make your smartphone into a pocket office.
5. Microsoft Office Lens
This tool is perfect for those who regularly use Microsoft Office suite. The app allows you to save your scans as PDFs, Word documents and PowerPoint slides. This tool is targeted at taking images of whiteboards, notes, and documents.
It should be noted that scans obtained with Microsoft Office Lens aren’t as clean as in PDF Scanner App, Adobe Scan or SwiftScan. You may also find that sharing options are pretty limited. But in general, if you don’t expect anything extraordinary and need a simple PDF to Word free converting tool, this application will surely cover your needs.
Before downloading a scanning app, consider your needs and expectations. If you have to deal with scans almost every day, it makes sense to download an advanced app and buy a subscription that provides additional features. If it is an occasional use in everyday life and quality is not crucial, the simplest free options will do.
