Scan Documents to PDF on Android & iOS
OnlyScans turns paper into clean, shareable PDFs in seconds. Here is the whole workflow, from camera to finished file.
OnlyScans documentation · Reviewed 21 September 2026
How to scan to PDF in three steps
1. Capture the document
Open the app and point your camera at the page. Automatic edge detection finds the borders, corrects perspective, and snaps the shot for you — single pages or whole batches.
2. Enhance and organize
Apply filters to sharpen the text, reorder or merge pages into one document, and add signatures or annotations where you need them.
3. Export your PDF
Choose a readable export quality and inspect the preview. Use fit-to-page when preserving every edge matters. Export, then save to a location you can identify. On iPhone the system Files picker offers local and connected-provider destinations; on Android the save/share destination depends on the app you select. An app-library document and an exported PDF are separate copies.
See how scan to Word works →Learn how offline OCR makes your PDFs searchable →
Make the PDF searchable, then check it
- Select the language of the document in OCR settings and install any required language pack while connected. Searchable PDF is a Pro feature. On the export screen, choose PDF and enable Searchable PDF; text recognition supplies the invisible text layer. A PDF exported without this option can still look readable while containing only page images.
- Open the saved PDF in a separate PDF reader and search for a distinctive word from the page. Try selecting and copying a sentence too. Check names, dates and totals against the image, especially after OCR. For an editable paragraph layout, choose Word (.docx) instead; a searchable PDF keeps a fixed page appearance.
If the result is wrong
- Blur or missing characters: retake the page closer, in focus and with even lighting. Check whether a strong black-and-white filter removed faint strokes. Increasing export quality cannot repair an out-of-focus source.
- No search results: confirm the correct OCR language and installed pack, enable Searchable PDF and export again. Open the new file, not an earlier image-only copy. Try another PDF reader if its search or selection tools are limited.
- Wrong words or reading order: compare OCR with the page image. Columns, handwriting, stamps and small print can confuse recognition. Correct the reusable text in a Word editor when necessary; retain the scan as your reference.
- File too large: remove unwanted pages and lower export quality gradually, checking small text after each export. Avoid sending a screenshot of the PDF. File limits come from the recipient; no single setting fits every document.
Choose PDF, Word or an image
PDF
PDF keeps fixed pages for sharing. Enable searchable export with Pro when you need to find or copy recognized text.
Word (.docx)
Word (.docx) is for editing paragraphs and reusing text. Proofread the recognition and reconstructed layout.
JPEG / PNG
JPEG or PNG is a page image for attachments. It does not contain editable paragraphs or a PDF text layer.
Scan to PDF FAQ
Is OnlyScans a free scan to PDF app for Android and iOS?
On iPhone, single-page scans and PDF, JPEG or PNG exports are free without watermarks. Android free PDF/JPEG exports have a watermark. Pro adds OCR, searchable PDFs and other advanced tools; features differ by platform.
How do I make the scanned PDF searchable?
With Pro, choose the document’s OCR language and enable Searchable PDF when exporting. Then test a word in the saved file using a PDF reader.
Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF?
Yes. Capture page after page in one session, reorder or merge them as needed, and export a single multi-page PDF.
More ways to use OnlyScans
OnlyScans handles more than plain documents. Explore these offline, on-device workflows: