How to Scan Documents on Your Phone and Make One PDF

By Shani Dev Gupta · Updated 23 September 2026 · 4 min read

You don't need a scanner or a scanner app to send documents as a PDF. Your phone camera and this free tool are enough.

Steps

1. Open JPG to PDF on your phone.
2. Tap Take a photo with camera for each page, or select photos you already took. Add them in any order.
3. Reorder pages with the ↑ ↓ buttons.
4. Choose the settings:
   • Page size: A4 for most documents.
   • Scan effect: Black & white document makes text crisp and the paper white; Auto enhance keeps colour but improves contrast.
   • Margin: Small looks like a real scan.
5. Tap Create PDF and download it.

How to take a good document photo

• Place the paper on a dark, flat surface so the edges are clear.
• Hold the phone straight above the page, not at an angle.
• Use daylight near a window and avoid your own shadow on the paper.
• Tap the screen to focus on the text before taking the photo.

Next steps

If the PDF is too large for a form, run it through Compress PDF. To combine it with other PDFs, use Merge PDF.

Frequently asked questions