How to scan a document on a Xiaomi phone and send it by email: 5 proven ways

Why Scan Your Documents From Your Smartphone and Why Xiaomi Is Better Than Others

The document scanner in your pocket is no longer a fantasy, but a reality for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO. The brand’s modern smartphones are equipped with cameras with a resolution of up to 200 MP, which exceed many office scanners in detail. But the main advantage is software processing: automatic filters remove shadows, align perspective and increase the contrast of text, turning a photo of a document into a full scan.

According to a study by Counterpoint Research (2023), 68% of smartphone users have scanned documents directly from their phone at least once, and Xiaomi owners do so 22% more often thanks to built-in tools like MIUI Scanner or integration with Google Drive. But not everyone knows that even without third-party applications, you can get a quality result – just set up the camera correctly and take advantage of hidden firmware functions.

In this article, we will examine 5 scanning methods, from standard to professional, compare them in speed and quality, and show you how to send a finished file by mail without losing resolution. Particular emphasis will be placed on Xiaomi’s unique feature, Document 2.0, in camera mode, which automatically trims fields and removes glare from lamps.

Method 1: Built-in scanner in MIUI (without installing applications)

MIUI 12 and later has a hidden scanning tool, MIUI Scanner, which works on all models from the Redmi Note 8 (2019) and later.

1. Open the Camera app and switch to Document mode (paper icon).
2. Hover the lens over the document – the smartphone will automatically highlight the boundaries of the green frame.
3. Press the down button and wait for processing (1-3 seconds).
4. Save the file in PDF or JPEG format (option appears after shooting).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔹 Instant processing – no need to wait for the cloud to load.
• 🔹 Autocorrect perspective – curved corners are straightened automatically.
• 🔹 Text recognition (OCR) — You can copy the text directly from the photo (available on the MIUI 13+).

Document is on a flat surface | Lighting uniform, no shadows |Camera clean (wipe the lens) |Document mode is enabled in the camera settings-->

Limitations:

• ⚠️ It does not support multi-page PDF (each sheet is kept separate).
• ⚠️ Maximum scan resolution is 12 MP (even if the camera is 108 MP).

⚠️ Warning: If the image turns dark after shooting, turn on the camera settings option HDR+ (Way: Camera settings → Additionally. → HDR+). This will increase the detail in the shadows.

Method 2: Google Drive – Cloud-Saving Scanning

Google Drive offers a built-in scanner that automatically uploads documents to the cloud and allows you to send them directly by mail, which is suitable for multi-page documents (passports, contracts) and does not require the installation of additional applications.

Instructions:

1. Open Google Drive and click + → Scan.
2. Take a picture of the document (hold the phone parallel to the sheet).
3. Click Ready, then select Save (the file will appear in the My Drives section).
4. To send by mail, click on the file → Send → Email.

Comparison with MIUI Scanner:

Xiaomi's built-in camera|Google Drive|Third-party applications (CamScanner and others.)|I photograph and edit manually.-->

An important caveat: Google Drive compresses images when downloading, to avoid loss of quality:

• 📌 Before scanning, go to Drive Settings. → Download quality and select Original Quality.
• 📌 For color documents (such as diplomas), disable the "Black and White" filter in the scanner settings.

Method 3: Professional applications (CamScanner, Adobe Scan)

If you need to scan documents regularly (for work or school, for example), standard tools may not be enough, and third-party apps like CamScanner or Adobe Scan offer:

• 📊 Package processing (scanning 50)+ page-by-page).
• 🔍 Improved. OCR (reads text by 20+ languages, including Cyrillic).
• 🔒 Protection PDF (You can set a password to the file).
• 📤 Cloud integration (automatic booting to Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.).

Recommendations for setting up CamScanner for Xiaomi:

1. Enable High Quality Mode (Settings → Scan Quality).
2. Activate Auto-Pruning and Perspective Correction.
3. For color documents, select the Original (not Black & White) filter.

Comparison top-3 scanner:

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi smartphones with Snapdragon processor 7xx/8xx (for example, Xiaomi 12 pro POCO F4) CamScanner can brake during processing 10+ If you want to use Microsoft Lens, it's optimized for Qualcomm.

Method 4: Scan through Notes – little-known life hack

The Notes app in MIUI can scan documents, but it's hidden. It's available on all models starting with the Redmi 9 (2020), and the advantage of the method is that it instantly binds the scan to a note (easy for organizing project documents).

Step-by-step:

1. Open your notes and create a new note.
2. Click on the Camera icon in the lower menu.
3. Select the Scan of the Document (not "Photos"!).
4. Take a picture of the document – the app will automatically trim the edges.
5. Save the scan in a note, then export through Share → Email.

Features:

• 🔹 Supports manual corner correction (if the auto-trimming worked incorrectly).
• 🔹 You can add multiple scans to one note and send them in one. PDF.
• 🔹 Recognize QR-codes on documents (e.g. checks).

💡

If the scan in Notes turned out to be blurry, before shooting, turn on the Macro mode (for small text) or Pro (for manual exposure settings) in the camera settings.

How to Send a Scanned Document by Email Without Losing Quality

Even a perfect scan can be ruined when you send it, except for the nuances of email services. For example, Gmail defaults to compress attachments of more than 25 MB, and Mail.ru limits the size of the letter to 30 MB.

1. Check the file format: 📄 PDF — Best choice for text (weighs little, supports many pages). 🖼️ JPEG/PNG — only if you need a color scan (e.g. signature or seal).

Optimize the size:

• In CamScanner: Settings → Quality → Medium (enough for most cases).
• In Adobe Scan: Select File → Compress PDF before sending.
• Use Cloud Links: If a file is larger than 20MB, upload it to Google Drive or Yandex.Disk and submit the link.

FAQ: Frequent questions about scanning on Xiaomi