How do I scan a document and email it from my iPhone?

Place the document on a flat surface with good light.

Try to use a background that contrasts with the paper.

For example: a white sheet of paper is easier for the camera to recognise on a darker table than on another white surface.

Make sure:

• the full page is visible
• there are no strong shadows
• the document is reasonably flat

1. Open the Mail app.
2. Tap the button to create a new message.
3. Tap inside the body of the email so the keyboard appears.
4. Above the keyboard, open the attachment actions.

This is where iPhone gives you options for adding files, photos and scanned documents.

Tap:

Scan Document

Your iPhone camera opens. Place the paper document in view.

Keep the iPhone above the document.

If automatic capture is enabled, the iPhone can recognise the edges of the page and scan it automatically.

If you prefer to capture it yourself:

• Tap the shutter button
• or press one of the volume buttons.

If needed, adjust the corners so only the document is included. Then choose:

Keep Scan

The scan is designed to produce a document-style result rather than simply adding a normal photograph.

If the document has more than one page, do not send each page as a separate photograph.

After the first page:

1. Place the next page in front of the camera.
2. Scan it.
3. Repeat for the remaining pages.

When finished, tap:

Save

The pages can be kept together as one scanned PDF document.

After you tap Save, the scanned document is attached to the email. Then:

1. Enter the recipient’s email address.
2. Add a clear subject.
3. Add a short message if needed.
4. Check that the attachment is present.
5. Tap Send.

Before sending an important document, take a moment to confirm you are sending it to the correct email address.

The scanned document is sent as a PDF attachment.

That means the recipient can usually:

• open it
• save it
• print it
• forward it

without needing a special scanning app. If several pages were scanned together, they can be contained in the same PDF.

Before saving the scan, check the edges.

If iPhone did not identify the page correctly, adjust the corners so the whole document is included.

If the scan is poor, choose:

Retake

and scan the page again. Good light and a contrasting background usually make page detection easier.

Keep scanning before you tap Save.

You do not have to create a separate email for every page.

Scan: Page 1 → Page 2 → Page 3

Then tap Save. The pages can be sent together as one PDF attachment.

The direct “Scan Document” steps above are for Apple’s Mail app.

If you use another email app, a simple option is to scan the document into the Files app first.

1. Open Files.
2. Open the folder where you want to save it.
3. Tap More.
4. Tap Scan Documents.
5. Scan the page or pages.
6. Tap Done / Save as presented by current iOS.

Then open your normal email app and attach that PDF using the app’s normal attachment control.

Large documents with many pages can exceed the attachment limit of an email service.

If you use Apple Mail and the file is too large, iPhone may offer Mail Drop where supported. Follow the onscreen instructions if this appears.

For documents, scanning is usually better.

A scan is designed to:

• find the edges of the page
• straighten the document
• make it easier to read
• combine several pages
• create a PDF

A normal camera photo may be fine for something informal, but if somebody asks you to “scan and email” a document, use Scan Document.