Where to Find Scanned Documents on iPhone: A Quick Guide

Looking for your scanned documents on iPhone? This guide will show you where to find them. Whether you used the Notes app, Files app or third-party scanning apps like Scanner App, CamScanner, Adobe Scan and Microsoft Office Lens we’ve got you covered.

Quick Summary

• Scanned documents on an iPhone can be stored and accessed through the built-in Notes app, Files app or third-party scanning apps like the Scanner App, Adobe Scan and Microsoft Office Lens.
• Using the Notes app you can find scanned documents in the ‘Notes with Scanned Documents’ folder and the search feature within the app.
• Managing scanned documents means naming them clearly, putting them in folders and syncing them across devices using iCloud Drive or other cloud services so you can access and retrieve them easily.

Find Scanned Documents on iPhone

Scanning documents on your iPhone has never been easier. With just a few taps you can capture and store your documents digitally. But what happens after you’ve scanned them? This guide shows you where to find them on your iPhone. Whether you used the built-in Notes app, Files app or third-party scanning apps like Municorn’s Scanner, CamScanner, Adobe Scan and Microsoft Office Lens we’ve got you covered.

This guide covers everything from auto-scanning documents with your iPhone’s camera to putting them in easily searchable folders. You’ll learn how to use the search feature to find specific files, how to manage and sync your scans across devices and how to delete unwanted documents.

First let’s look at the different ways to scan documents so you’ll always find your document when you need it.

Overview

Scanning a document used to mean a big scanner and a lot of waiting. Now your iPhone is a powerful and convenient scanner. A simple tap on a scanned document and you get high quality scans that are right on your device. This has made scanning faster, more efficient and for everyone.

Accessing scanned documents on your iPhone makes it all so much easier. These documents can be saved in apps like Notes or Files which are right on your home screen or App Library. Once scanned these documents can be read, copied and even added to other apps. For users of screen readers the iPhone can read out scanned documents so it’s even more versatile.

Using the Notes App to Find Scanned Documents

The Notes app on your iPhone is more than just a place to jot down notes and reminders. It’s a powerful tool that can:

• Scan documents with your device’s camera
• Convert scanned documents to PDF
• Send scanned documents to friends
• Mark up scanned documents
• Add scanned documents to other apps

This built-in document scanner makes it all so much easier than an external scanner. Using this feature will make your document management more efficient and convenient.

Finding your scanned documents in the Notes app is easy. When you scan a document it will be stored in the note you scanned it in under your iCloud account. So all your scanned documents are in one place.

In the following sections we’ll show you how to search and view your scanned documents in the Notes app.

Search in Notes App

To find your scanned documents in the Notes app:

1. Open the search field in the app.
2. Type in keywords or file names related to your scanned documents.
3. The search field will narrow down your options whether you remember the exact name or just a keyword from the document.

For users who need to find all their scanned files at once the Notes app has a handy ‘Notes with Scanned Documents’ feature. This will show you all notes that have scanned documents so you don’t have to remember the details.

Scanned Documents Folder in Notes

To see all your scanned documents in the Notes app go to the ‘Notes with Scanned Documents’ folder. This folder will collect all your scans in one place so you can access them easily.

Open the note where the document was scanned to view and manage your scanned document.

Files App

The Files app on your iPhone is another great tool to manage and find your scanned documents.

• Create folders to easily find and get your scans

• Save documents directly to the Files app or move them from other apps

• A solid file management platform

You can find your scanned documents in the Files app by opening the app from your home screen or App Library. Then tap ‘Browse’ at the bottom of the screen. From here you can navigate through your folders to find your scanned documents. In the following sections we’ll show you how to browse folders and use the search bar in the Files app.

Browsing Folders in Files App

Browsing through folders in the Files app is easy. Just tap on a folder to view its contents and navigate through sub-folders until you find your scanned document. This is great if you have a well structured folder setup.

To make it even easier to find specific documents the Files app allows you to:

• Sort and filter files within folders by name, date or size

• Tag files and folders so you can find them later

• Mark folders as favourites so your most used scans are just a tap away.

Search Bar in Files App

The search bar in the Files app is a great tool to find specific scanned documents. To find a document in the app tap the search bar at the top and start typing the name or keyword of the document. This will find it faster. As you type suggestions will appear below the search field which you can tap to execute the search.

To refine your search you can enter specific file names, folder names or document types. You can also tap ‘Recents’ or the name of a location or tag below the search field to narrow down your search so you can find the document you need.

Scanned Documents in Third-Party Apps

While the Notes and Files apps are great for managing scanned documents, specialized third-party scanning apps offer more features and functionality. Apps like Scanner, Adobe Scan and Microsoft Office Lens improve scanning quality and offer more advanced editing options. These apps store your scanned documents within the app itself so you can easily organize and manage your scans.

In the following sections we’ll show you how to find your scanned documents in these popular third-party apps. From navigating the app’s interface to using the search function you’ll learn how to find your scans.

Scanner App

To find your scanned documents in Municorn’s Scanner:

1. Open the app and go to ‘Files’
2. This will show you all your scanned documents, categorized into PDFs and images for easy access.

Scanner App has:

• Auto categorisation of scanned documents
• Quick access to what you need
• Simple interface to manage and retrieve scans

With Scanner App you can manage your scanned documents with just one tap of the camera button.

Adobe Scan

Finding your scanned documents in Adobe Scan is easy. Here’s how:

1. Open the app and go to the ‘Recent’ tab on the home screen to see your latest scans.
2. For all your scanned documents go to the ‘All Scans’ tab.
3. Here you can sort your files by name or date so you can find specific documents.

Adobe Scan has:

• Scan documents with your smartphone camera
• Edit and improve scanned documents
• Convert scanned documents to editable text
• Organise and categorise scanned documents
• Search for scanned documents by keyword or filename

These features make Adobe Scan a great tool for managing and accessing your scanned documents including a signature box.

Microsoft Office Lens

Find your scans in Microsoft Office Lens:

1. Open the app.
2. Go to ‘My Files’
3. This will show you all your captured documents so you can manage them.

The app’s scanning power scans and saves for you so you can save high quality scans with just one tap.

Scanning Across Devices

Syncing your scanned documents across devices means you can access them anywhere. Whether you’re using an iPhone, iPad or Mac having your documents on all your devices is super convenient. iCloud Drive and other cloud services will sync your files for you.

In the following sections we’ll show you how to use iCloud Drive and other cloud services to sync your scanned documents across devices. These will give you access to your files anywhere.

iCloud Drive

iCloud Drive is a great tool to sync your scanned documents across all your Apple devices. Simply drag files into the iCloud Drive folder in the Finder sidebar on your Mac and your scans will be available on your iPhone, iPad and other devices linked to your iCloud account. Scanner App also allows you to upload and share your scans to iCloud easily.  

Note that deleting files from iCloud Drive will remove them from all devices logged in with the same Apple ID. This will keep your files in sync across your entire Apple ecosystem.

Other Cloud Services

Beyond iCloud Drive, there are many other cloud services that can sync your scanned documents across devices. Microsoft Office Lens for example saves scanned documents to OneDrive, OneNote, Word, PowerPoint or as PDF files so you can access them from any device.

Conclusion

Scanning documents with your iPhone is so convenient and easy. From the built in Notes and Files apps to third party solutions there are many ways to scan, store and manage your documents. Follow the tips and methods in this guide and you’ll always have your scanned documents findable and tidy.

In this digital age being able to scan, save and manage documents on the go is a superpower. Get the most out of your iPhone’s scanning abilities and document management. Happy scanning!