The fastest way to scan on Android
The fastest way to scan a document on Android is to use Google Drive, which is built into most Android phones and requires no separate download. Open Google Drive, tap the plus button, select "Scan", point your phone's camera at the document, and tap the shutter button. Google Drive automatically crops the image, converts it to black and white, and saves it as a PDF in your Drive folder — all without leaving the app.
If you do not have Google Drive installed, you can download it free from the Google Play Store. The scan feature works the same way whether you use the web version on a computer or the mobile app, so your scans appear in the same place either way.
Key Takeaways
- Google Drive's built-in scanner is the fastest option for most people because it requires no separate download and saves directly to your cloud storage.
- Microsoft Lens and Adobe Scan are free alternatives that offer more editing options if you need to adjust brightness, rotation, or page order before saving.
- All three apps convert your phone's camera into a document scanner and save the result as a PDF you can share or download.
- The scanning process is the same on all apps: point your camera at the document, tap to capture, let the app crop and straighten automatically, then save.
Using Google Drive to scan documents
Open the Google Drive app on your Android phone. If you do not see it on your home screen, swipe left to find your app drawer and search for "Drive". Tap the blue plus button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
A menu will appear with several options. Tap "Scan". Point your phone's camera at the document you want to scan — the app will show you a live preview on your screen. Make sure the entire document fits in the frame and the lighting is bright enough to read the text clearly. Tap the white circle at the bottom to capture the image.
After you tap, Google Drive will automatically crop the edges, straighten the image, and convert it to black and white. A preview will appear on your screen. If the crop looks wrong or the image is too dark or too light, tap "Retake" to scan again. If the result looks good, tap the checkmark to save it.
Google Drive will ask you to name the file and choose where to save it. The default name is "Scan" followed by the date. You can change this to anything you want. Tap "Save" and the PDF will be stored in your Google Drive folder, where you can download it, share it, or open it later on any device.
Microsoft Lens as an alternative scanner
Microsoft Lens is a free app that works similarly to Google Drive but gives you more control over how the final image looks. Download it from the Google Play Store and open it. Tap the camera icon at the bottom of the screen to start a new scan.
Point your camera at the document. Unlike Google Drive, Lens will not automatically capture — you need to tap the shutter button yourself when the document is in focus and well-lit. After you capture, Lens shows you a preview and lets you adjust the brightness, contrast, and rotation before saving. If you are scanning multiple pages, you can add more pages to the same document by tapping the plus button, and Lens will combine them into one PDF.
When you are done, tap "Save" and choose where to store the file. Lens can save to your phone's storage, OneDrive, or send the PDF directly to email or other apps. This flexibility makes Lens useful if you need to send the scan immediately or store it somewhere other than Google Drive.
Adobe Scan for more detailed editing
Adobe Scan is another free option that offers the most editing features of the three. Download it from the Google Play Store. Open the app and tap the camera icon to start scanning.
Point your camera at the document and tap the shutter button to capture. Adobe Scan will show you a preview with a grid overlay so you can see exactly what will be included in the final image. You can drag the corners of the grid to adjust the crop manually, which is useful if the automatic crop cuts off important text. You can also adjust brightness and contrast, rotate the image, and add multiple pages to a single document.
Adobe Scan saves files to your phone by default, but you can also connect it to Adobe Document Cloud to store scans in the cloud. If you already use Adobe products like Acrobat or Creative Cloud, this integration may be useful. For most people, saving to your phone and then moving the file later is simpler.
Comparing the three apps
| Feature | Google Drive | Microsoft Lens | Adobe Scan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
| Automatic capture | Yes | No | No |
| Brightness and contrast adjustment | No | Yes | Yes |
| Manual crop adjustment | No | Limited | Yes |
| Cloud storage included | Google Drive (15 GB free) | OneDrive (5 GB free) | Adobe Document Cloud (2 GB free) |
| Best for | Speed and simplicity | Quick sharing and multi-page documents | Detailed editing and precise crops |
Tips for getting the best scan quality
The quality of your scan depends mostly on lighting and how steady you hold your phone. Scan in bright, natural light if possible — avoid shadows across the document. If you are indoors under artificial light, position yourself so the light comes from above or to the side, not from behind you or the document.
Hold your phone as still as possible while scanning. Rest your phone hand on a table or prop it against something stable if you can. The steadier you are, the sharper the final image will be. If you are scanning a book or thick document that will not lie flat, try to hold the pages as flat as possible or use a small weight to hold them down.
Make sure the entire document fits in the frame before you capture. If text runs off the edge of your phone's screen, it will be cut off in the final scan. For very large documents, scan multiple pages and let the app combine them into one PDF.
Where your scans are saved
Google Drive saves scans to your Google Drive folder in the cloud. You can access them from any device by logging into your Google account. The first 15 GB of storage is free, and additional storage costs money.
Microsoft Lens saves to your phone's storage by default, but you can change this to OneDrive when you set up the app. OneDrive gives you 5 GB of free cloud storage. Adobe Scan also saves to your phone first, with the option to upload to Adobe Document Cloud for 2 GB of free storage.
All three apps let you download your scans to your phone as PDF files, which you can then move, email, or upload to other services. Once a scan is saved as a PDF, you can open it with any PDF reader on your phone or computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I scan multiple pages into one document?
Yes. In Google Drive, after you save your first scan, you can tap the plus button again and select "Scan" to add another page to the same document. Microsoft Lens and Adobe Scan both have a plus button in the preview screen that lets you add more pages before saving. All three apps will combine multiple pages into a single PDF file.
What file format do these apps save in?
All three apps save as PDF by default. PDF is the standard format for scanned documents and works on any device. Some apps also offer the option to save as an image file (JPG or PNG), but PDF is usually better because it compresses the file size and is easier to share and print.
Can I edit the text in a scanned document?
Not directly from these apps. The scan is an image of the document, not editable text. If you need to edit the text, you can use optical character recognition (OCR) software, which converts the image into text you can edit. Google Drive has built-in OCR — right-click a PDF in Drive and select "Open with" then "Google Docs" to convert it. Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word also offer OCR, though some features require a paid subscription.
Do I need an internet connection to scan?
No. All three apps can scan documents offline using only your phone's camera. However, if you want to save to cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, or Adobe Document Cloud), you will need internet to upload the file. You can scan offline and upload later when you have a connection.
Which app is best for scanning receipts or small documents?
Google Drive and Adobe Scan both work well for small documents because they automatically crop to the edges. Adobe Scan gives you more control over the crop if the automatic version is not quite right. Microsoft Lens is also good but requires you to tap the shutter button yourself, which can be harder with small items that move easily.