Scanto

Published 2026-06-01 · Updated 2026-07-20

How to Scan a Document with Your Phone Camera (Free, No App)

You can scan a document with your phone camera and export it as a PDF without installing any app, using a browser-based tool like Scanto.

Native scanning apps like CamScanner or Adobe Scan work well, but they require an install, an account, and — for CamScanner's free tier — leave a watermark on your PDF. A browser-based scanner skips all three, and in Scanto's case, also skips uploading your photo anywhere.

  1. Open Scanto in your phone's browser and tap "Scan a page."
  2. Choose "Use camera" and grant camera access when prompted.
  3. Photograph the document, keeping all four edges visible in the frame.
  4. Drag the four corner handles so they sit exactly on the document's edges.
  5. Tap "Flatten page" to correct the perspective.
  6. Pick a color mode — Color, Grayscale, or B&W text — and adjust contrast if needed.
  7. Tap "Add page," then repeat for any additional pages.
  8. Tap "Export PDF" to download the finished, multi-page PDF.

Ready to try it? Open the scanner.