Technology has rapidly become an essential part of our daily lives. In this era of smartphones, nobody likes a lot of paperwork since it’s tedious and takes up a lot of time and space. Cashless transactions, document scanning, downloading digital data, and storing it on hard drives are much more preferred.
Various mobile scanning apps to scan to pdf can be used for varied purposes, and these can be easily downloaded via app stores. But not all applications online are legit and safe to use. The ones with higher ratings from the general public for document scanning should be chosen for the purpose.
Statistics suggest that people scan documents more with Android applications than iPhone apps. However, the quality of the text scanned, and the image’s resolution was cited to be better with iPhone scanners. Some of the best scanner app for iPhone provide scan quality as good as the physical scanners.
So, what is the purpose for which these scanner apps can be used?
1. You can sign documents with a phone scanner app – From legal purposes to finalizing deals, a mobile scanning can help speed up the process by diminishing the need to be present in person. The user can sign the document on the spot by just scanning their signature. Some of the best document scanning app providers in the scanning domains have both e-signatures and stamps available to the general public for ease of doing business.
2. Storage of data and its organization is made much more accessible – After completing the scanning process, one can face a storage problem and organization of the scans in a properly structured way. Some of the best scanner apps boast of an automated system to organize the taken scans and store them without occupying a lot of extra space on the device.
3. Mobile scanning apps provide a convenient way to share scans – Whatever be the available channel, document scanning applications allow an easy way of sharing and distributing scans. Scans can be shared efficiently via channels like email, Google Drive, printers, faxes, and more. Scans can be backed up automatically to cloud storage as well.
Enabling all of your Scanning Requirements
These are some of the primary uses, and choosing which mobile scanning app to use that will suit your needs the best can be a challenging task. Since there are thousands of scanning applications available, experts in the field suggest going for the ones with a higher rating and well-drafted features.
This blog aims to clarify the options available and help you choose the best mobile scanning app for iPhone and scanner app for android, which will help with all of your scanning requirements! Read on to find out more!
Security requirements
Digital privacy is endangered by the usage of unfrequented apps. The general public’s apps that don’t have high ratings or are not used much are primarily due to security concerns. Thus, the safety of the mobile scanning app is one of the foremost vital factors to consider while downloading and installing one.
To avoid privacy issues, you must go through the scanner app’s privacy policy before registering for the same. The input of payment components must only be done if you are sure about the security of your digital payment details.
Availability of free features
Only some scanner apps advertise free features, while the rest require a subscription. The availability of different basic features such as editing and high-resolution scanning should be checked for, and if necessary, a paid subscription to a dedicated app should be taken. Usually a free pdf scanner app for android or free pdf scanner app for iPhone provide only basic scanning for free, and the premium features are subscription based. The in-app paid features of these scanner apps are worth paying for.
If you are willing to pay a few extra bucks for a wide range of functions, choosing the most viable yet cheapest plan is essential.
Distraction-less scanning
Have you ever encountered a situation where there are irritating pop-ups every minute while you are just trying to get your job done? If so, you need to find a distraction-free app. These apps have in-built ad blockers, and many times it’s a paid feature.
However, there are several advantages of taking an ad-free subscription: meeting tight deadlines, not having to close the pop-up windows every minute, and getting the job done efficiently. This feature must be sought by professionals in every field who cannot afford to lose even the smallest amount of time.
Usage for work purposes
There was a survey conducted in 2012 which shows that over 21% of the losses incurred were due to adversely affected employee productivity. Paper-based documentation is tedious seriously challenging a business’s development plans.
To alleviate this nuisance, companies have since moved on to the use of digitized documents. Scanning documents for professional service requires several extra features since the scanned copies need good quality. A multi-functional mobile scanner can help professionals not only have scanned documents on phone, but also convert scanned documents to pdf, navigate easily and scan items without those extra clicks. It also has many different pros, such as
- Office space is saved as physical storage of bulky document crates can be avoided.
- Scanning helps save time, which leads to heightened employee productivity levels.
- Updating the centralized storage is easier as every employee of the given department has access to all its files.
- Files don’t go missing, and searching for a digital document is much easier.
- Audit compliance is higher, reducing the risk of getting penalized.
All thanks to the Android and iPhone business card scan app.
Usage for academic purposes
Students often require scanning apps to save and edit digital books, assignments, or research papers. Hence, they need to have certain features included in the scanner app. These are some of the stuff students should look out for:
The availability of essential editing tools – Students should highlight the critical passages in a scanned document, including pictures and annotations. For this purpose, the editing feature must be available in the scanner app downloaded.
Scanning to PDF – Many digital books are made by scanning several documents and pages individually and turning them into a PDF book. This feature is crucial for students, and thus PDF scanner apps should be preferred by them.
Usage – Users who only want the fundamental features can efficiently complete their tasks via the same and should look for a secure basic app offered at zero cost. The application should be easy to navigate, and most basic scanners detect borders automatically. Many available documents can be scanned easily via such apps, which must be considered.
No watermarks
This is primarily a premium service, or the user has to see a given advertisement video; for instance, they don’t want a watermark. This scenario is one of the essential factors that professionals like lawyers or accountants should consider. If some critical legal or financial documents need to be scanned, availing of the no-watermark service can be helpful.
Watermarks are superimposed and are either transparent or opaque. There’s an option to remove the app’s watermark in paid editing tools, and these tools are included in the scanning app’s paid version.
OCR scanning app
OCR scanner is Optical Character Recognition, and it helps recognize text within a scanned image. In short, an app to scan documents into word. This scenario can help one convert the given image into a document and even a PDF for further use. The text is recognizable and can be searched for in the “search tab.” A “PDF scan” option is available in both iPhone and Android apps, which goes hand-in-hand with the OCR feature. Hence, you can focus on the text in an image and refine it for future use by using this method.
Signature and annotation feature availability
Digital signature is made available only by certain apps, and it’s accessible via a paid subscription only. The scan and sign apps help save time and other resources and make the authentication process more manageable. It’s simple to use, and the person can finalize deals and procure agreements without signing them in person. People in the business world, transportation sector, construction sector must look for this feature and frequent travelers to sign essential documents while being away from the venue.
Other vital features
Automatic phone scanner with advanced Auto-detection and auto-enhancement features are available in some of the best scanning apps. They can focus on any particular thing in a scanned document or image. The text is automatically detected, and the boundaries are automatically set. The enhancement characteristic allows editing the image to get a better quality, and one can fix a specific resolution to scan the paper.
These are some of the characteristics one should consider while choosing a mobile scanning app. Basic features are all available in different apps, and along with them, students can search for the specific attributes they want and choose accordingly.
A paid subscription to a dedicated app is the way to go for people who require highly specialized tools. While some traits are accessible, advanced scanning technologies need a monthly or annual charge.
Finally, choosing a mobile scanning application
While picking a mobile scanning application, one must not forget to look for better quality retention and data security. To do so, the following steps can be helpful:-
- Find a scanner that makes scanning at 300 dots per inch available – So that the image quality is maintained, 300 pixels per inch is the minimum requirement.
- Apps that retain the originals are better – Securely storing the original copy may seem an easy task, but if there are too many documents to scan, few might be missed. Hence, scanners that automatically back up the original data should be preferred.
- Removal of metadata is a manual process that must be done before applying OCR.
FAQs
1. Which scanner app is the best for mobile?
Many scanner apps for android are available like Adobe Scan, Evernote Scannable, and Tiny Scanner Pro. The iPhone scanner app, i.e., the QuickScan – document scanning app, is popular with iPhone users and is getting popular amongst android users as well. There’s a free and paid version available of the app. The free version allows diverse users to scan anything, including books, receipts, contract papers, or fax notes. The files can also be stored in a PDF or iPhone scan document to jpeg is also feasible with the app.
2. Do I need an app to scan with my phone?
A phone user doesn’t necessarily need an app to scan a document. But if the person wants a high quality scan, or edit the scanned documents and save scanned item as a supported file in the device, they need a specialized app. Separate apps are available for Android and iPhone users on the App Store. Some applications are free at cost. A scanner app for iPhone is already present in the app gallery for free usage, i.e., QuickScan App.
3. How do I scan with my smartphone?
To scan a document and save it as a file, do the following steps:
- Download a good scanning app from the App Store and make sure to have enough space on your device to save the scanned copies.
- Launch the app and follow the guide given in each app’s “Help and About” section.
- Scan your document, and don’t forget to save the original in the “External storage” folder.
The QuickScan application is how you scan a document on your iPhone for a free iPhone scanner app. It’s a faster version of other scanning apps and can scan any document – ID cards, books, and timetables. It’s available for all Apple products – iPad (all generations), and iPhones! It’s a near-perfect fit for everyone since it caters to diverse needs.
4. What features should I look for in a mobile scanning app?
When choosing a mobile scanning app, consider the following features:
- High-Quality Scans: Look for apps that offer clear, high-resolution scans with good color accuracy.
- OCR : This is used to convert all scanned documents into a form editable as text; it, therefore, becomes easy to handle documents.
- Editing and Annotation Tools: You will indeed find the basic editing features of cropping, rotating, color adjustments, and the ability to annotate documents very useful to manage your scans.
Export and Share Options: Support the app that will enable you to export scans to common formats (PDF, JPEG, etc.) to multiple formats and offer you exporting options through email, cloud storage, and social media.
5. How important is the quality of scans in mobile scanning apps?
It should be of quality, focusing on readability and a further use of the document. The quality should focus on the scans being clear and carrying accurate colors to keep the integrity of the source document. Poor quality of scans might even have text and images distortion, making the document practically unreadable or not really reusable. Look for apps that come with flexible resolution settings coupled with superior high-quality image processing technologies to be sure that you’ll get fine scan quality.
6. Are there mobile scanning apps that integrate with cloud services?
A good number of them allow the integration of cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive in their mobile scanning applications. This may also enable one to automatically upload their scanned documents to the cloud, from where they can be accessed and safely backed up on various devices. Integration with clouds is very helpful for business users, since every document now requires sharing with colleagues or scanning from some device that happens to be in reach.
7. What about the privacy and security features of mobile scanning apps?
Give utmost consideration to the document’s privacy and security, especially if it is a very personal or sensitive document. Look for the following apps:
- Data Encryption: Ensures your scans are encrypted during transfer and storage.
- Local Processing: Some apps may allow the processing of the scans within your device, which may tend to offer extra security than those which process via the cloud.
- Privacy Policies: Review the app’s privacy policy to understand how your data will be used and stored.
8. How can I decide between free and paid mobile scanning apps?
The decision between free and paid apps depends on your specific needs:
Free apps: Most of the free apps give very basic scanning features, which can easily be enough for occasional or personal purposes. A few of them occasionally even have ads in them, or some features may be restricted.
Paid apps: in case you need advanced features, like OCR, batch scanning, or even some good editing tools, you can always pay for the app. In addition, paid apps often give better customer support and protection of privacy.
Key Takeaway
There are many different options to which a scanned document can be converted. Mobile app development companies have made much progress, and different applications market various such features. Therefore, choosing the best tool by going through the functions offered has become necessary.
Many people use mobile scanners, and some features are exclusive for a particular user population. This blog aims to resolve the common issues and help every target population mentioned find the best scanner by listing the features they should consider.
We hope this blog post resolves any problem faced by avid scanning app users looking forward to a refreshing change or newcomers who want to find the best!
