How to Scan Photos with Your Smartphone
Lay your photo on a flat surface., Open your smartphone's Camera., Aim your camera at the photo you wish to scan., Disable flash., Find the "Capture" button., Tap the "Capture" button.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Lay your photo on a flat surface.
If the photo has any wrinkles, try to smooth them out with a soft cloth or a cotton swab. , On iPhone, this is a grey app with a black camera icon, whereas on Android the Camera app resembles a camera.
You'll typically find the Camera app on the Home Screen (iPhone) or in the App Drawer (Android). , The photo should be centered in your phone's screen.
Make sure the photo isn't tilted toward or away from your camera to avoid distorting it. , Since flash can blow out and distort the colors in the photo, you'll want to make sure flash is disabled before continuing.
To do so:
On iPhone:
Tap the lightning bolt icon in the top-left corner of the screen, then tap Off.
On Android:
Tap the lightning bolt icon in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap the icon that resembles a lightning bolt with a slash through it. , It's a white, circular button at the bottom of the screen.
On iPhone:
Make sure your camera is in photo mode by swiping right or left until you see the word "PHOTO" above this button.
On Android:
If this button is red, swipe right across your Android's screen to navigate back to the "Capture" button. , Doing so will take a picture of your photo and store it in your phone's photo album.
You can view the photo you just took by tapping either the square icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen (iPhone) or the circular icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen (Android). -
Step 2: Open your smartphone's Camera.
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Step 3: Aim your camera at the photo you wish to scan.
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Step 4: Disable flash.
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Step 5: Find the "Capture" button.
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Step 6: Tap the "Capture" button.
Detailed Guide
If the photo has any wrinkles, try to smooth them out with a soft cloth or a cotton swab. , On iPhone, this is a grey app with a black camera icon, whereas on Android the Camera app resembles a camera.
You'll typically find the Camera app on the Home Screen (iPhone) or in the App Drawer (Android). , The photo should be centered in your phone's screen.
Make sure the photo isn't tilted toward or away from your camera to avoid distorting it. , Since flash can blow out and distort the colors in the photo, you'll want to make sure flash is disabled before continuing.
To do so:
On iPhone:
Tap the lightning bolt icon in the top-left corner of the screen, then tap Off.
On Android:
Tap the lightning bolt icon in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap the icon that resembles a lightning bolt with a slash through it. , It's a white, circular button at the bottom of the screen.
On iPhone:
Make sure your camera is in photo mode by swiping right or left until you see the word "PHOTO" above this button.
On Android:
If this button is red, swipe right across your Android's screen to navigate back to the "Capture" button. , Doing so will take a picture of your photo and store it in your phone's photo album.
You can view the photo you just took by tapping either the square icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen (iPhone) or the circular icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen (Android).
About the Author
Douglas Palmer
A passionate writer with expertise in crafts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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