How to Scan Documents on Xiaomi: 5 Ways to Scan Photos and Videos

The document scanner in a smartphone is an indispensable tool for students, office workers and anyone who regularly works with papers. Xiaomi smartphones offer several ways to digitize documents: from built-in features to built-in functions. MIUI But how do you choose the best method? And why scanned files sometimes get blurred or distorted colors?

In this article, we will analyze all available scanning methods on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — From basic to professional, you'll learn how to set up a camera for perfect quality, which apps give you the best results, and how to automatically recognize text from photos. MIUI, which are not written in the official instructions.

If you need to send your passport data, save your receipt, or digitize your note, don't run for a scanner. Your Xiaomi will do as well as office equipment. The main thing is to know a few simple rules.

📊 How often do you scan documents from your smartphone?
Every day.
Several times a week
Rarely, if necessary.
Never tried.

1. Built-in scanner in the Camera application: a quick way without installing programs

The easiest method is to use the Document feature in the standard Camera app, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with a single device. MIUI 12 and newer (including Redmi Note) 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13).

To activate the mode:

  1. Open the Camera app.
  2. Fly through the shooting modes left to the item "Document"** (the icon with a sheet of paper).
  3. Point the camera at the document – the system will automatically highlight the boundaries.
  4. Press the shutter button.

After the shooting, you can:

  • 🔍 Cut the edges of the document manually.
  • 🎨 Apply filters: Black and white, color or improved text.
  • 📄 Save how PDF or JPEG.
  • 📤 Share immediately in Telegram, WhatsApp or by mail.

Pros of the method:

  • ⚡ No need to install additional applications.
  • 📱 It works on budget models (Redmi). 9A, POCO M3).
  • 🔒 Data is not transferred to third-party servers.

⚠️ Note: In mode, the document is disabled HDR If the light is weak, use an external light source, otherwise the text may turn dark.

💡

For better results, place the document on a dark surface (such as a table with a black tablecloth), which will help the camera to more accurately determine the boundaries of the sheet.

2.Scanner app from Xiaomi: advanced features for PDF

Starting with MIUI 13, a separate Scanner app has been introduced in firmware, offering more features than in-camera mode:

  • 📑 Multi-leaf scanning (up to 50 pages per one) PDF).
  • 🔎 OCR-Recognition (text from the photo can be copied).
  • 🖼️ Perspective correction (corrects "buried" pictures).
  • 🔒 Password protection for PDF-file.

How to use:

  1. Find the Scanner app in the menu (if it isn’t, update your firmware or install it through GetApps).
  2. Select the type of document: Certificate, Receipt, Book or Other.
  3. Take a picture of the document – the app will automatically crop and straighten the image.
  4. Click Ready and select the save format.

Features of the work:

  • 📱 Supports auto-save in Mi Cloud (if synchronization is enabled).
  • 🔍 Recognising text at 10.+ languages including Russian, English and Chinese.
  • 📊 Allows you to combine several scans into one file.
FunctionDocument mode in the ChamberAppendix "Scanner"
OCR-recognition❌ No.✅ Yes (10.+ language)
Multi-leaved PDF❌ Only 1 page.✅ Up to 50 pages.
Correction of perspective✅ Basic✅ Advanced (manual setting)
Exports to the cloud❌ Only local preservation✅ Mi Cloud, Google Drive

⚠️ Note: The Scanner application may not be available on devices for the European market (global firmware.

3. Google Drive and Google Photos: Cloud-Saving Scanning

If you want to not only scan, but also upload a document to the cloud, use Google. MIUI They are more stable than third-party applications.

Method 1: Google Drive

  1. Open the Google Drive app.
  2. Press. + → Scan (scanner icon).
  3. Take a picture of the document – the system will automatically crop and improve the image.
  4. Save how PDF or JPEG right on the drive.

Method 2: Google Photos

  • Take a picture of the document in normal camera mode.
  • Open the photo in Google Photos.
  • Press Edit. → Tools → Document.
  • The app will automatically straighten and crop the picture.

The advantages of Google services:

  • 🌐 Access to scans from any device (PC, tablet).
  • 🔍 Built-in OCR (Text recognition) via Google Lens.
  • 📁 Automatic sorting by folder.

Important: Google Drive is compressing PDF-files when downloaded if they weigh more than 100 MB. For high-quality scans, use local saving.

Make sure the document is exactly the same.|Check the lighting (no shadows)|Turn it off. HDR camera-setting|Select the maximum resolution (12).+ MPP)|Keep the original in case of errors-->

4 Third-party applications: CamScanner, Adobe Scan, Microsoft Lens

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools aren’t enough, install one of the specialized apps that offer advanced features: sharpening, color correction and exporting to the market. Word/Excel.

Top.-3 scanner:

AnnexFeaturesCons
CamScanner✅ OCR 60+ language ✅ Cloud Storage (1 GB Free) ✅ Watermarks in the free version❌ Free-version advertising
Adobe Scan✅ Integration with Adobe Acrobat ✅ Automatic text improvement ✅ Export to editable PDF❌ Registration is required
Microsoft Lens✅ Free. OCR translating ✅ Exports to Word/PowerPoint ✅ It's offline.❌ No Russian-language support

How to choose the best application?

  • 📱 Microsoft Lens (export to Word for notes).
  • 💼 For Business: Adobe Scan (Integration with Business) PDF-editorial).
  • 🌍 For multilingual documents – CamScanner.

Instructions for setting up CamScanner:

  1. Install the app from Google Play.
  2. Register (you can use Google or Facebook).
  3. In settings, turn on: Auto-trimming → Including Quality → High (300) DPI) Format → PDF (formality)
  4. Take a picture of the document and wait for processing.

⚠️ Warning: Free versions of apps can add watermarks to scans. To remove them, buy a premium subscription or use Xiaomi's built-in tools.

How to remove a watermark in CamScanner without payment?
1. scan the document and save how JPEG. 2. Open the photo in any graphics editor (e.g. Snapseed). 3. Cut the edges where the watermark is located (usually at the corners). 4. Save and convert back to PDF via Google Drive or Google Drive or WPS Office. ⚠️ The method works only for unofficial documents - on passports and diplomas, watermark trimming can be considered a forgery!

5. The scanner through WPS Office: to work with texts and tables

If you need to not just scan a document and then edit the text or transfer data to Excel, use it. WPS Office. This app does:

  • 📝 Convert scans to editable DOCX.
  • 📊 Remove tables from photos in Excel.
  • 🔍 Recognise text at 50+ language.

Step-by-step:

  1. Install. WPS Office from Google Play.
  2. Open the app and press. + → Scan.
  3. Select the document type: Text, Table or Picture.
  4. Take a photo of the sheet – the application automatically recognizes the content.
  5. Click Save How Word/Excel.

Example of use:

Let's say you have to move the data from the paper to Excel, instead of manually typing the numbers:

  1. Take a picture of the table through WPS Office.
  2. Select the data area.
  3. Click Export in Excel - the program itself recognizes the cells and transfers the values.

Pluses WPS Office:

  • 📄 It can recognize tables more accurately than CamScanner.
  • 📱 Lighter (weighs) ~50MB vs. ~100 MB Adobe Scan).
  • 🔄 Synced with Google Drive and Dropbox.

⚠️ Note: Complex tables (with combined cells or formulas) may require manual editing in Excel!

6.Scanned through Mi AI: photo-recognition

On Xiaomi smartphones with Snapdragon processor 8xx (for example, Xiaomi 12/13, POCO F4/F5) There's an AI assistant built in that can scan and recognize text. AI And it works like that:

How to turn on:

  1. Open the Settings. → Additionally. → Mi AI.
  2. Activate the text recognition switch.
  3. Return to the camera and take a picture of the document as normal.
  4. Open the photo in the Gallery and press Mi AI → Extract text.

Mi opportunities AI:

  • 📋 Copying text from photo in the clipboard.
  • 🔍 Search for highlighted words in Google or Baidu.
  • 🗣️ Voiceover (Text-to-Speech function).
  • 🌐 Translation to other languages (via Google Translate).

Limitations:

  • ❌ It only works on flagship models (with Snapdragon chipset). 8xx Or Dimensity 9000.+).
  • ❌ Does not keep the scan in PDF — It's just extracting the text.
  • ❌ You may be wrong with the handwritten text.

Comparison with Google Lens:

FunctionMi AIGoogle Lens
Recognition of Cyrillic✅ Exactly.✅ Exactly.
Export to PDF❌ No.✅ Yes (via Google Drive)
Offline work✅ Yes.❌ No (we need the internet)
Support for tables❌ No.✅ Partially.

💡

Mi AI Suitable for quick copying of small fragments of text (for example, phone number from a business card or address from a check.

7. Problem Solving: Why are scans bad?

Frequent complaints from Xiaomi users:

  • 🖼️ Blurred text – check focus and lighting.
  • 🎨 Distorted colors -- turn off. HDR and AI Improvement in Camera Settings.
  • 📄 PDF It does not open, try to save it in JPEG Use Adobe Acrobat to recover.
  • 🔍 OCR • does not recognize text – increase contrast in the editor before scanning.

Checklist for the perfect scan:

Use the rear camera (resolution higher than the front camera)|Bring the document to the light source|Turn off the digital zoom|Take it off at right angles (90)°)|Check the focus (click on the screen for manual tuning)-->

If the document is too large (A3 or larger):

  1. Take a picture of it in parts.
  2. Use Google’s PhotoScan app to glue snippets together.
  3. Save how PDF and combine files in Adobe Acrobat.

If the scanner does not see the border of the document:

  • 📱 Check if the lens is closing your finger.
  • 🖼️ Place the document on a contrasting background (for example, a black table).
  • 🔦 Turn on the flashlight (Settings) → Quick setups → Lantern).

FAQ: Frequent questions about scanning on Xiaomi

🔹 Can I scan my passport or driver’s license through a built-in scanner?
Yes, but there are nuances: For official documents (passport, license, diploma), use the mode of Certificate in the Scanner application - it keeps the maximum quality. Avoid automatic color correction - it can distort the shades of printed elements (for example, holograms). For sending to government agencies (for example, on public services) save in PDF/A (Important: Some banks and agencies require scans with permission 300 DPI. In this case, use CamScanner with High Quality setting.
🔹 Why is the document saved sideways when scanning through Google Drive?
This is a common problem with auto-turning. Solutions: Before shooting, block the orientation of the screen (swipe down). → Turn icon.In Google Drive, after scanning, click Edit → Turn. Use alternative applications (Adobe Scan or Microsoft Lens) where autorotation works more accurately. If the document still persists in a curve, take a picture of it in landscape orientation (horizontally).
🔹 How to scan a bilateral document (for example, a copy of a workbook)?
To scan two-sided sheets: In the Scanner app (from Xiaomi) or CamScanner, select Multi-File Document mode. Take a picture of the first side, then click Add page and turn the sheet. After scanning both sides, click Unite – the app will automatically connect them to one. PDF. If you want to keep the order of pages (for example, for a book): Number the sheets with a pencil before scanning. In Adobe Acrobat, use the function Arrange the pages.
🔹 Can I scan documents on Xiaomi without the Internet?
Yes, all of the above methods work offline except: Google Drive and Google Photos (requires internet to download). AI (Text recognition works locally, but translations need the Internet. For fully offline scanning: Use the built-in Scanner or Camera in Document Mode. Install Microsoft Lens, it saves scans locally.
🔹 How to reduce size PDF post-scan?
If the scan is too heavy (for example, 50).+ MB), reduce it: In Adobe Acrobat: File → Save how → Reduced PDF. In Google Drive: upload the file and select Compress when exporting. Online services: Smallpdf.com or ILovePDF.com (in the browser). Optimal settings for saving space: Resolution: 150 DPI (Format: Black and white (instead of color) Compression: Medium (in CamScanner).