The document scanning feature found in Apple's stock Notes app is a great way to digitize all sorts of print-based content, from letters and receipts to recipes and photos.
If you often make a digital record of paper in this way, you'll be familiar with the typical steps involved: unlock your device, launch the Notes app from the Home screen, create a new note, tap the "+" button, choose Scan Documents, then line up the document you want to shoot and save.
It's not immediately obvious, but there is a way to cut out several of these steps and make scanning a document a much quicker process, which is great news if you tend to scan things several times a day. First, you'll want to add Notes to the Control Center, like so:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap Control Center.
- In the More Controls list, tap the green "+" button next to the Notes entry.
Now that's set up, you can get to the document scanning screen in fewer steps, as described below.
How to Scan Documents in Three Quick Steps
- Launch Control Center from the Lock screen: On iPhone 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen; on iPhone X/XS/XR, swipe down from the upper right "ear".
- Hard press (or long press) the Notes icon.
- Tap Scan Document and allow Face ID to automatically authenticate you (If you're using an iPhone with Touch ID, place your finger on the Home screen to unlock.)
You're now ready to scan your document and save it as a note.
Don't forget, if you want to generate a PDF of the scan as soon as it's been saved as a note, simply tap the Share Sheet icon (the box with an arrow pointing out) at the upper-right of the screen and select Create PDF from the third row of options.
Once it's generated you'll be offered the option to save it to the Files app, or you can share it elsewhere with another tap of the Share Sheet icon.
Related Roundup: iOS 12
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13 weeks ago
That’s too many steps. I rather use my printers app. 3 taps and it’s done.
Three steps is too many? You'd rather do three other steps? o_O
13 weeks ago
Problem is, I still don't understand exactly what you mean. How can you rename it other than adding a title to the Note which will then serve as file name?
It's not the simplest or the most intuitive, but once you save the scan into a note, tap the scan to open it, then tap on the title.
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I just want Apple to make the box with the file name in the collapsed folder view in Save in Files tapable. That would be how you do it on a Mac — choosing a file name in the Save As... Box. And, I have reported all of this to Apple via the feedback forum but it takes them years to implement such simple stuff, it is a bit annoying they haven't figured this out themselves. One could be forgiven believing they don't even use their own products.
Agreed. There's tons of simple crap like this that makes iOS so much of a PITA when you actually try to do any work on it.
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