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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Microsoft’s document-scanning Lens app is no longer available for download.
- For basic scanning, try Apple Notes, Google Drive, or PhotoScan.
- For more advanced features, look at Adobe Scan or iScanner.
I scan a fair number of paper documents via my phone, and one mobile app I grew to rely on was Microsoft Lens. With Lens, I could scan documents, business cards, photos, and other physical items and save or share the digital versions. Now, I’ll have to find a different program, as Lens has left the building.
On Monday, support for the app ended, so it’s been removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Microsoft announced Lens’ retirement, which began January 9, from iPhones and Android devices in a recent support document.
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With the app still on your device, you can use it to scan documents until March 9. After that deadline, you won’t be able to create new scans, but you will be able to access your previous scans as long as you keep the app around. Switch to a different device, however, and say goodbye to the app forever.
Microsoft didn’t reveal exactly why it’s retiring Lens. But it’s a safe bet that the company no longer sees a need for it given the scanning capabilities built into OneDrive and other tools. In fact, Microsoft is advising people to use the OneDrive app’s built-in scanning feature, which lets you scan and save documents to the cloud.
OneDrive is certainly a viable option, though it doesn’t offer the range of editing tools provided by Lens. If your scanning needs are light and you already use OneDrive, then this should work fine. But why not take this opportunity to check out a few other mobile scanning apps, any of which should be able to take over for Microsoft Lens.
1. Apple Notes
A quick, easy, and free option for iPhone users, Apple Notes lets you scan documents directly into a note for safekeeping. I’ve used Notes for scanning before, and it’s fairly capable. You can adjust, rotate, and apply a limited selection of filters to your scans. When you’re done, the document is automatically saved as part of your note, but you’re also able to share it with other people or services.
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Using the built-in Apple Intelligence on a supported phone, you can ask questions and search for information about the scanned item. If you need a no-frills way to scan something with a touch of AI on top, Notes is a good choice.
2. Google Drive
Built into Android and available for iOS, Google Drive offers its own document scanner. Just line up the item you want to scan, then decide whether to capture it manually or let the app do it for you. After the scan, you can crop and rotate, or apply filters, to the resulting image.
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Using Google’s Magic Eraser tool, you can eliminate unwanted areas in the scan. You can even add multiple pages to the scan and save them all as one single PDF or JPEG stored directly in Google Drive. This is a free and handy option for Android and iPhone users alike.
3. PhotoScan
Completely free and available for iOS and Android, Google’s PhotoScan is a basic but solid scanner. Line up the item you wish to scan and press the shutter button. You’re then asked to move your device to touch each of the four circles on the screen, which captures the image in full. When done, you can rotate and adjust the corners of the scanned image.
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Happy with the scan? The image is stored in the app, though you can save and share it to other locations.
4. Adobe Scan
Designed for iOS and Android, Adobe Scan is a powerful app that will scan documents, ID cards, business cards, whiteboards, and even books. After a scan, you can save the digital version as a PDF or JPEG. The basic version is free. To score more advanced features, you’ll have to cough up $10 a month.
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Though the monthly cost for the Premium edition seems exorbitant (as usual, Adobe wants its cut of the action), the features are impressive. You can use OCR to extract and edit text from a scan, remove specific pages, combine multiple scans, compress files, password-protect your scans, and export them to Microsoft Office.
Don’t want all the bells and whistles? With the free version, you can still crop, rotate, and apply filters to a scan. You’re able to rename, move, print, or delete a scanned document. And since this is an Adobe product, you can open the file in Acrobat, where you can mark it up and fill out and sign a scanned form.
5. iScanner
Available for iOS and Android, iScanner is a robust scanning tool that lets you scan, edit, convert, and export your documents. You can even tap into AI to summarize and answer questions about your scanned files. With all those skills, the app isn’t free. After a three-day trial, you’ll have to fork over $21 a year. But if you work with a lot of scanned documents, the subscription cost may be worth it.
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After installing the app, set up your account. To kick things off, tap the Actions button, where you can scan a document or ID card, measure an area, capture your passport, or grab a QR code. Tapping the Scan button in the center lets you take a new scan, retrieve a photo from your device’s library, or import another file.
If you want just a plain, vanilla scanning app, then Notes, Google Drive, and PhotoScan will all do the trick. But if you need more advanced features to modify, organize, and work with your scans, then Adobe Scan or iScanner are worth checking out.
