- Android users can now use the native Files by Google app to scan documents.
- To use it, open the app -> tap the floating scan button -> point your phone to the document you want to scan -> Tap on done.
- Scanned documents are automatically saved to the Files by Google app in the PDF format.
Android users have had the functionality to scan documents on the dedicated Google Drive app for quite some time now. However, this feature was later upgraded with the ability to auto-scan and capture documents. Now, this super useful feature has been integrated into the Files by Google Android app as well.
Popular tech enthusiast and writer Mishaal Rahman first reported the availability of the feature for Pixel devices. However, I could spot the feature on the OnePlus 11R I’m daily driving.
So, if you are curious to use this feature and wish to replace your document scanner apps for good, then here’s how it works:
- Open the Files by Google app on your Android phone.
- You will see a new floating Scan button in the bottom right corner of your screen. Tap on it.
- Then, point your phone towards the piece of document that you want to scan.
- Within a fraction of a second, the document will be automatically scanned.
- Next, tap on the Done button in the top right corner of your screen, and that’s it.
As soon as you capture a document, you will see a new “Scanned” folder appear in the Files app. You can also crop & rotate the scanned document, use filters, or clean it up a bit. Also, do note that the scanned documents are automatically saved as PDF files.
All in all, this seems like a pretty useful feature, which aims to possibly reduce the dependency on third-party document scanner apps. We’d also like to see more versatility in terms of export options, which will further make the tool more viable. However, iOS users will have to rely on the document scanning capability of their Notes app, since the feature is not available for them.
Moreover, it is always a good time to see Google focus on basic yet essential tools that can help the end-user on a day-to-day basis. One such feature is the new Scan Text feature that Google recently added to its Gboard, which has received quite a positive response from users.
With that said, what do you think about the new Files by Google document scanning functionality? Let us know in the comments down below!
Sagnik Das Gupta
