Hack of the day: Scan documents without third party apps

'The Times of India' brings you 'Hack of the Day'—a new weekday series of quick, practical solutions to everyday hassles. Each hack is designed to save you time, money or stress, using tools and features within your reach—from government websites to everyday apps. In simple terms, it's simple fixes for smarter living.

Smartphones are widely used for communication, payments, and work-related tasks, but they can also serve as document scanners when needed. If you need to submit forms, share signed documents, or store receipts digitally, most Android phones already include built-in tools that let you scan documents without downloading third-party apps. Using these native features helps create PDF copies quickly while keeping files organised and easy to access. Android devices offer document scanning through the Google Drive app, which comes pre-installed on most smartphones. The feature uses your phone’s camera along with automatic edge detection to capture documents and convert them into clear PDF files.

How to scan documents on Android using Google Drive

1. Open the Google Drive app on your phone.
2. Tap the “+” (plus) icon located at the bottom right corner.
3. Select Scan (camera icon).
4. Position your camera over the document and tap the shutter button, or allow the app to capture automatically.
5. Use the Crop & Rotate option to adjust the document area if required.
6. To scan multiple pages, tap the “+” icon and continue adding pages.
7. Tap Save to store the scanned document as a PDF in Google Drive.

Note: The built-in scanner automatically detects document edges and enhances readability, reducing the need for manual editing. Scanned files can be uploaded to Google Drive, shared through email or messaging apps, or stored for future reference, making it a convenient way to digitise documents directly from your Android phone.