Open a note in Notes and look under the Attachment button for Scan Documents. Apple also documents More → Scan in an open note. If you want a PDF in a folder, open Files and look for Scan Documents in its More menu.
01Choose where the PDF should go
Section linkIn Notes, open or create a note and use Scan Documents from the Attachment menu. Look for the paperclip on recent iOS versions. The scan is saved as a PDF in the note. Scan Text is a separate option that inserts recognized text. In Files, go to Browse, open the More menu, and choose Scan Documents. Finish the scan, choose a location and save it.
02Capture manually if the edges are missed
Section linkLay the paper flat in even light and keep the whole page in the frame. If automatic capture does not trigger, tap the shutter button. Drag the corners to match the page and keep the scan. Add any remaining pages before tapping the button that finishes the scan. The label for keeping a page can vary with the iOS version.
03Open the scan before sharing it
Section linkReopen the PDF in the note or in the folder you chose. Check the edges, small print and page order. If a corner was cropped out or a page is hard to read, retake that page before sending the file. If the issue was finding the menu, remember which app you used so you know where to look for the PDF later.
Sources & further reading
Put it into practice
Before you convert
A short checklist for choosing an image format and checking the result.
Download checklist (.txt)