How to scan a document to PDF on Android
Android has no built-in scanner app. The two common routes, Google Drive and a scanner app from the Play Store, both work, but they differ in one thing that matters for a contract, an ID or a medical report: whether the scan leaves your phone.
This guide covers what each route does with your file, then the exact steps to scan a multi-page document to a single PDF in ScanCrypt with nothing uploaded.
What the usual options do with your scan
Google Drive's "Scan" button saves the PDF into your Drive, which means it is uploaded to Google's servers as part of the save. Most scanner apps on the Play Store default to a cloud account so your scans sync across devices, which is convenient and also means a copy lives on their server.
An on-device scanner keeps the file in your phone's storage. You decide later whether it goes anywhere, by sharing it yourself.
What makes a scan look like a scan, not a photo
Four things: edge detection so the page is cropped to the paper, perspective correction so a photo taken at an angle comes out rectangular, a document filter that flattens shadows and lifts text contrast, and multi-page capture into one PDF instead of one image per page.
- Auto edge detection and perspective correction happen during capture.
- Filters can be applied per page or to every page at once.
- Pages can be reordered, rotated or deleted before you save.
Where the PDF ends up
ScanCrypt saves each scan as a PDF in its own library, on your phone. From there you can share it to WhatsApp, email or any app, print it, or export it to a folder you choose. If you never share it, it never leaves the device.
How to do it in ScanCrypt
- Open ScanCrypt and tap Scan. The camera opens with document detection on. Hold the phone over the page; the outline snaps to the paper edges.
- Capture each page. Tap the shutter for every page, up to 20 pages per session. The pages stack in the strip at the bottom.
- Adjust and clean up. Drag a corner if the crop is off. Pick a filter such as auto, text or colour, and apply it to one page or to all of them.
- Save as PDF. Tap Save. The scan is written as a single PDF into your ScanCrypt library and appears on the Home screen.
- Share it only if you want to. Open the document and use Share to send it to WhatsApp, email or another app. Nothing is sent until you do this.
Questions
Do I need an internet connection to scan?
No. Scanning, filters and saving work in airplane mode.
Can I scan several pages into one PDF?
Yes. Capture every page in one session and they save as a single PDF, in the order you took them.
Is scanning free?
Yes. Scanning to PDF is on the free tier, with no watermark and no page-count trial.