In iOS 11, there's a new feature in Notes that allows you to quickly scan all kinds of documents so you can keep track of everything from receipts to recipes to photos.

The Document Scanner detects the edges of a document, aligns things properly, and removes all glare and tilt so you get a clean scan every time. The new feature is available on both iPhone and iPad. Here's how to use it:

  1. Open the Notes app.
  2. Create a new note.
  3. If the keyboard is open, tap on the black "+" button located above the keyboard. On iPhone, it's in the middle, and on iPad, it's on the right side of the display. ios11documentscannernotes
  4. If the keyboard is closed, tap on the yellow "+" button at the bottom of the Notes app.
  5. Choose "Scan Documents."

Once the document scanning interface is open, there are a few additional steps to follow to get a clear scan.

  1. Tap on the three circles at the top to choose color, grayscale, black and white, or photo for your scan. The default option is color.
  2. Tap on the flash icon if you need to adjust the flash options. The default is auto, which will cause the flash to go off if you're in a room with low light.
  3. Focus the camera on your document, making sure the yellow box is lined up with the edges of your document.ios11documentscannerscanning
  4. When it's aligned, press on the camera button to snap a photo.
  5. Adjust the edges of your scan to get a perfect alignment. The Notes app will automatically correct for any tilting.
  6. If the scan is to your liking, choose "Keep Scan." If you want to try again, choose "Retake."

The Document Scanner is set up to take multiple scans in a row, so once you tap "Keep Scan," it returns to the scanning interface. To get back to Notes after you've scanned all of your documents, you'll need to tap on "Save."

ios11documentscannerediting
Your scanned document is inserted into the current note, where it can be edited. To edit, simply tap on the scan. Editing tools include adding an additional scan, cropping, changing the color, changing the orientation, and opening up the Share sheet to send it to Messages, Mail, social networks, and other apps.

ios11documentscannerfinished
Apple's document scanning tools are well engineered and impressive, producing dozens of clear, clean scans in our tests, with excellent performance on everything from photos to documents. Apple's new Notes tool rivals even well-established third-party document scanners and can easily replace them.

Popular Stories

The iPhone 14 in a Nutshell: All the Rumors Summarized

Wednesday December 15, 2021 12:18 pm PST by Juli Clover

We're still months away from the launch of the iPhone 14 models, which we're expecting in September 2022, but we've already heard enough rumors about the new devices that we have a clear picture of what to expect. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Rumors for upcoming products can sometimes be hard to follow, so we thought we'd do an at-a-glance rumor summary for the...

Apple Delays Corporate Return to Offices Indefinitely

Wednesday December 15, 2021 2:01 pm PST by Juli Clover

Apple employees are no longer going to be returning to corporate offices in February as planned due to the continued spread of COVID-19 and the newly emerging omicron variant, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a memo sent out today. Back in November, Apple sent out a letter telling employees that Apple would expect them to start returning to the office on February 1, but that return date has now...

iPhone 14 Pro Models Rumored to Feature 48-Megapixel Camera and 8GB of RAM

Monday December 13, 2021 6:28 pm PST by Joe Rossignol

As previously rumored, Apple is planning to release four iPhone 14 models in September 2022, including a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, according to analyst Jeff Pu. In a research note with Haitong International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Pu said the two Pro models will be equipped with a triple-lens rear camera...

AirPods Max 2: Everything We Know One Year After the High-End Headphones Launched

A year ago today, Apple's AirPods Max launched, marking the company's first push into the high-end over-ear headphones market under its own brand name. One year later, rumors about a successor are thin on the ground, but there have been some indications about what customers can expect from AirPods Max 2. A report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that AirPods Max, thought at the time to be...

How the iPhone 14 Pro's Upgraded 48-Megapixel Camera is Expected to Work

Tuesday December 14, 2021 8:00 am PST by Joe Rossignol

It has once again been rumored that next year's iPhone 14 Pro models will feature an upgraded 48-megapixel primary camera (the "Wide" lens), compared to a 12-megapixel Wide lens on iPhone 13 Pro models, but it is not as simple as it might sound. In a research note earlier this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said iPhone 14 Pro models may support both 48-megapixel and 12-megapixel output, which...

Apple Rumored to Launch Lower-Priced 24-Inch and 27-Inch External Displays: What to Expect

Thursday December 16, 2021 5:44 am PST by Joe Rossignol

Since the Thunderbolt Display was discontinued in 2016, Apple has not offered a consumer-oriented external display. Apple did release the Pro Display XDR in 2019, but it is aimed at professionals and costs a hefty $4,999. Fortunately, rumors suggest that Apple is developing two new lower-priced external displays that will be more suitable for everyday users. A new version of the Pro Display...