5 Best PDF Scanner for Android: Apps for Document Scanning
Here’s an advice: you don’t need to use a scanner at all times.
Even in the office. Unless, of course, you want to scan a document or photo at 1,300dpi. Instead, use a PDF scanner for Android.
That’s right. You can use your smartphone as an on-the-go scanner. Save your documents as PDF with just your phone. It’s quicker and way much lighter than using actual scanners.
But why should you digitize?
There’s plenty of reason why. But the simple answer is: everyone’s digitizing: either for personal use or for business. You get to keep a backup of your physical document. And instead of keeping piles of documents on your desk, why not just neatly keep them safe somewhere and use PDF files of them.
Another great thing about PDF files is that you can annotate and edit them using certain PDF editor apps.
Now…
If you have important documents you’d like to back up to the Cloud or email to someone, you can just scan them using your phone.
So here goes…
Let’s take a look at some of the best PDF scanner for Android.
Related: PDF Viewer Apps
5 Best PDF Scanner Apps for Android
PDF scanner apps are well-loved because they’re convenient, quick, and easy to use.
So without further ado, here are the best apps to scan documents and save them as PDF files.
Read on…
1. CamScanner
CamScanner is one of the leading mobile scanning apps on the internet. It’s one of the widely used apps of its kind. With this app, you can scan and digitize documents of any kind: notes, receipts, certificates, business cards, invoices, any file. You can even edit, annotate, and watermark the documents. Thanks to the app’s advanced document editing tools.
But what makes it a well-loved app is because of its auto-enhancing and smart cropping feature. IT sees to it that the scanned graphics or documents are sharp, clear and of high resolutions. It captures even premium colors.
Features
- Optimize scan quality
- Advanced document-editing tool
- Extract text from an image
- Secure important documents
- AirPrint and Fax documents
- Book mode scan
- ID scan template
Aside from saving the document in PDF and JPEG format, you can also convert images to TXT, WORD, or EXCEL. Scan a book in book format and any ID front and back while keeping its original size.
Sync the scanned documents across your various devices. You can also secure confidential files with a passcode.
2. Adobe Scan
Adobe Scan is a PDF scanner app with OCR. Featuring an advanced image technology, this app can automatically detect documents and texts. This app allows you to turn any document into a PDF content which you can reuse, edit, reorganize, save, and send.
Scan and turn into PDF any documents, receipts, photos, whiteboards, business cards, and more. When you save the document as PDF or photo, you can then easily preview it on-the-go, edit it, reorder it, rotate, crop, adjust its color, clean it up.
Features
- Advanced image technology
- Automated text recognition
- Document and photo touch-ups
- Business card scanner
- Instant file access and sharing
- Instant contacts and intelligent scan
It has a built-in OCR, otherwise known as optical character recognition. This technology allows you to reuse any scanned PDF. Use the app as a tax receipt or business card scanner. Or do you want to scan a whole book fast and easy wherever you are? Use this app as a book scanner.
Get more things done on-the-go with Adobe Scan. You can give it a try by downloading it below.
3. Tiny Scanner
Another reliable app to scan documents in PDF or photo is the Tiny Scanner. As the name suggests, it turns your Android device into a portable “tiny” scanner, which you can use anytime, anywhere.
The scans are of high quality. And you can scan in color, black and white, and grayscale. You can just about anything with your phone or tablet: documents, reports, receipts, photos, etc. Optimized to run and work very fast, you can rely on this app especially when you need to quickly scan and send a very important file.
Features
- Scan in color, B&W, and grayscale
- Share scans or upload them to the Cloud
- Name, organize, and sort scans
- Crips monochrome texts
- Secure documents with a code
Once you’ve scanned the document or photo, you can then do with it as you please. Protect it with a passcode, save it in your devices or upload it to the Cloud, or send it via email. You can then just name the files and group them into folders.
However, it lacks the advanced editing tools that the CamScanner and Adobe Scanner offer. Nevertheless, it’s a great app to use if you want a neat, dependable portable scanner app to scan your documents with.
4. Scanbot
A portable scanner is surely a live-saver at work or at school. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, an officer worker, or a businessman, it’s great to have an app that can scan any documents in PDF and easily share, upload and print them anytime you need to, wherever you may be, as long as you have your phone with you.
Scanbot is another well-loved Android PDF scanner app. Just hold your device over the document to instantly scan it. You can then automatically upload it to the Cloud. Or you can edit it first: sign and annotate it, use filters, and do some edits. Save the scanned document with just a tap.
Features
- Multi-page scans
- OCR text recognition
- Bar and QR code scanning
- Edit and annotate PDFs
- Automatic upload
One thing that this app offers that the aforementioned apps do not is that it allows you to scan QR codes instantly to open a website, show a location, save a business card, or connect to a network.
If you’re planning to give this app a try, just download it below.
5. Clear Scan
True to its name, the Clear Scanner offers a brighter and clearer image and text scans. It’s easily one of the best PDF scanner apps for Android. The scanned receipts, bills, class notes, books, and other documents are rendered in high quality in either PDF or JPEG format. Digitize any kind of paper.
While the app is known for its high quality scans, it offers so much more. One of its many great features is the auto-correcting feature. It automatically cleans the image, removes the shadows, and adjusts the brightness to achieve a better result.
Features
- Automatic edge detection
- Multiple filter options
- Extract texts from image
- Send files to the Cloud
- Backup and restore
- Flexible editing
- Fast processing
- Print via CloudPrint
Use the multiple filter options to enhance the look of your PDF files. You can also extract texts from image. Thanks to its OCR feature. You can then backup the files by sending them to the Cloud or print them instantly via CloudPrint.
It’s a very handy app for students and professionals alike.
FAQs
What is a PDF scanner?
It is a device or an app which scans papers, documents, or photographs and converts these to a digital format in the form of a PDF file.
It is a device or an app which scans papers, documents, or photographs and converts these to a digital format in the form of a PDF file.
Yes, most PDF scanner apps are free. But some come with in-app purchases to unlock other features.
What is the best PDF scanner for Android?
It depends on your preference. The 5 apps listed here are some of the best that you can download and use for free. You’ll never go wrong whichever you choose.
Scan, Save and Share
With the right PDF scanner for Android, you can say goodbye to clattered paper in the office or piles of documents at home. While you can still use a physical scanner at the office, it’s good to have something portable to scan and send documents on-the-go.
Save a copy of important documents on your device, another storage device, or back it up to the Cloud. You can also easily send the PDF file to a friend or a colleague.
Now it’s just a matter of which app to use. Any of the 5 apps on this list are the best you can find. You’ll never go wrong with any of these.
Which PDF scanner app is your favorite? Let us know by leaving your comments and suggestions below.