How to scan documents with your phone and email them as one PDF

Take a photo of each page in good light, straight on. Turn the photos into one PDF in page order, then compress the PDF so it attaches to any email.

Start step 1: JPG to PDF

Each step passes your file to the next, so you only add it once. Nothing is uploaded.

Step by step

1
Turn the photos into one PDF
Add the page photos and drag them into order. iPhone HEIC photos work too.
Open JPG to PDF
2
Compress the PDF
Photo PDFs are large; compressing usually makes them a fraction of the size while keeping the text readable.
Open Compress PDF

Questions

Can I make the scan searchable?

Yes. Run the PDF through OCR PDF after step 1, and you can search and copy its text.

Does my iPhone have a scanner built in?

Yes, in the Notes and Files apps (Scan Documents). Those PDFs can still be large, so step 2 helps there too.

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