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Printer App

How to scan a document on iPhone and print it

Tap Scan Document, hold the phone over the page and let the camera grab it; add more pages if you need them, then tap Save. The pages become one PDF and the print sheet opens right away — your phone and printer end up acting like a photocopier.

2 min read · Updated 2026-10-06

Download on the App Store ★ 4.2 (38)

When scanning with the phone makes sense

A signed form, a receipt, a school letter, an ID card — you need a copy, you own a Wi-Fi printer, but there's no actual scanner or copier in the house. The iPhone camera does the scanning, the printer does the copying.

Scan Document is free, and it doesn't trigger the ads that pop up between some other actions.

How to scan and print, step by step

  1. Put the page on a flat, dark surface in even light. A dark table behind a white sheet helps the camera find the edges.
  2. Open Printer App and tap Scan Document on the Home tab. Allow camera access the first time.
  3. Hold the phone above the page. Apple's document camera detects the edges and captures the page; you can also press the shutter yourself.
  4. Adjust the corners or retake the page if the scanner offers it, then scan the next page. Repeat for every page.
  5. Tap Save. The pages are joined into one PDF and the iOS print options open.
  6. Choose the printer and the number of copies, then print.

The scan lands in History as an entry named Scan, with the date and the page count attached. There's a filter at the top of History if you only want to see scans.

Example: copying a three-page form

A typical home copy job
StepWhat happens
Scan 3 pagesOne PDF with 3 pages
Set 2 copies in the print options6 pages printed
Next month, open HistoryTap the printer icon on the scan to print it again

What this scanner does not do

  • No share step after scanning — it goes straight to the print sheet. Print it again from History later if you need another copy.
  • No editing inside the app at all: no rotate, filter or resize once it's saved. Fix the page before you tap Save, because that's your only chance.
  • The scanned PDF is just pictures. Want text you can search or copy? Photograph the pages instead and run OCR to PDF or OCR to Text (Pro).

Tips for cleaner scans

  • Shoot straight down from above. Tilted shots come out trapezoid-shaped, every time.
  • Watch your own shadow — side light or a window works better than overhead light.
  • Flatten folded paper under a book for a minute first; the camera edge-detection struggles with a curl.
  • For both sides of a sheet, scan the front, flip it, scan the back as the next page in the same session.
  • Color or black and white gets picked in the iOS print sheet, if your printer even offers the choice.

Questions and answers

Is scanning free?
Yes. Scan Document is part of the free tier and runs on Apple's built-in document camera.
Can I email the scan instead of printing it?
Not directly — the scanner goes straight to the print sheet. If you need to send a PDF instead, Photos to PDF or OCR to PDF give you one with a Share button.
How many pages can I scan at once?
As many as you capture in one session of the document camera. They all end up in the same PDF and print as a single job.
Can I make a scan searchable?
Photograph the pages and run OCR to PDF (Pro) — it adds an invisible text layer so the result can be searched and copied.

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