How to scan a document on a Xiaomi phone: a detailed guide with photos and videos

A document scanner at hand is not a luxury, but a necessity in 2026. Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi line and the Redmi line). POCO) They allow you to convert physical documents into digital copies without any additional hardware. But how do you do it quickly, with maximum quality and minimal distortion? In this article, we'll look at all the ways that you can do it, from embedded tools. MIUI to professional applications, and also reveal the secrets of optimization of the result.

It's important to understand that scanning on a phone is different from desktop scanning, where lighting, angle of photography and even background color play a role. We tested all methods on Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi Note 12 Pro models.+ and POCO F5, We've also developed a comparison table on scan quality and usability to help you choose the best option for your tasks.

1. Built-in scanner in Camera app: fast but limited

The most obvious way is to use the Document feature in the standard Camera app, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with a single-use, multi-site camera. MIUI 12 and later. The algorithm automatically aligns perspective, removes shadows, and increases text contrast.

To activate the mode:

• 📷 Open the Camera app and swipe left to the "More" section (or tap three dots in the upper right corner).
• 📄 Select Document Mode** (some models call it Scanner»).
• 🎯 Point the camera at the document, the frame will automatically circle the boundaries. Press the descent button to take a picture.
• ✅ Confirm the result or repeat the shooting if the quality is not satisfied.

The finished scan is saved in the gallery in format JPG It's up to 12 MP (depending on the phone model) and the main drawback is the lack of export to the country. PDF For single-page documents (passport, check, receipt) this will be enough, but for multi-page reports, you will have to look for alternatives.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi’s built-in scanner doesn’t recognize text (OCR). If you need to edit the contents of the document, use specialized applications from the following section.

Once a week or more|1-2 monthly|Less often, but accurately.|Never tried.-->

2.Scanner app from Xiaomi: hidden feature MIUI

Few people know, but in MIUI There's a separate Scanner app that offers more features than in-camera mode, pre-installed on most devices, but hidden in the Tools or Utilities folder.

Advantages of this tool:

• 📑 Support for multi-page documents with automatic integration into one file.
• 🔍 Regime. OCR (optical character recognition for 10+ languages, including Russian.
• 📥 Exports to PDF, JPG or TXT (recognizable).
• 🎨 Manual perspective alignment and color correction.

How to use:

1. Find the Scanner application through a search on the system or in the Tools folder.
2. Allow access to the camera and storage.
3. Point the camera at the document – the application will automatically take a picture of it when you focus well.
4. Edit the scan borders, apply filters ("Black and white" for text, "Color" for photo documents).
5. Click Save and select the format.

We tested it. OCR Xiaomi 12T Pro: Russian text recognition worked with accuracy ~92%, fine-print (<10 There were problems. In comparison, English text was recognized with almost no errors. If you want high accuracy, you'd better use Google Drive or Adobe Scan (more on that below).

Make sure the document is on a flat surface.|Use contrasting background (black text on white sheet)|Turn on good lighting, avoid glare|Clean the camera lens of fingerprints-->

3. Google Drive: Scanning + cloud-storage

If you need to not only scan a document, but also immediately save it to the cloud with access, Google Drive is the perfect choice.Scan feature is built into the mobile app and is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with Android 8.0 and later.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Google Drive app and click on the icon «+»** (create) in the lower right corner.
2. Select "Scan"** (Scan in English).
3. Point the camera at the document. Drive will automatically take a picture when you focus well (or press the button manually).
4. Cut the edges, apply the filter (Color, B, Photos) and add additional pages if necessary.
5. Click Save ** - the file will appear in your Drive format PDF.

The advantages of this method:

• 🔗 Instant sync with the cloud and the ability to share a link.
• 🔍 Built-in OCR Google (Recognizes text by 100)+ languages, including Russian with dialects).
• 📱 Cross-platform: scans are available from any device.

Cons: the quality of scans is slightly inferior to specialized applications (for example, Adobe Scan), especially in low light. PDF-files, which can be critical for documents with small details (drawings, diagrams).

Adobe Scan: Professional Quality for Important Documents

If you need to scan your passport, diploma, contract or other official document with the utmost accuracy, Adobe Scan is the best choice.

• 🔎 Automatically remove shadows and highlights.
• 📏 Align curved angles to pixel accuracy.
• 🖼️ Preserve original colors (important for color seals and signatures).
• 🔒 Encrypt. PDF-password.

How to scan in Adobe Scan:

1. Download the app from Google Play (free but with a subscription for advanced features).
2. Run it and allow access to the camera.
3. Point the camera over the document — Adobe Scan will automatically take a picture when you focus well. To manually control, press the shutter button.
4. Edit the boundaries, apply the filter ("Document" for text, "Photo"** for images).
5. Save the file in PDF or JPG, Export to Adobe Acrobat for further processing.

Adobe Scan is the only application in the test that correctly processes documents with holographic elements (such as passports or driver's licenses), without distorting them, OCR For Russian language, you will need a paid subscription to Adobe Acrobat Pro (from 300) ₽/month).

⚠️ Note: When scanning two-way documents (such as IDs), Adobe Scan can automatically deploy the second party, but sometimes confuses orientation!

💡

If you need to scan a book or a thick document, use AutoCapture** mode in Adobe Scan – it will take a series of snapshots as it scrolls through pages, and then combine them into one. PDF.

5. CamScanner: An alternative with advanced settings

CamScanner is one of the most popular scanning apps that offers a balance between free features and professional tools. Unlike Adobe Scan, here are:

• 📊 Packet processing – scanning several documents in a row with automatic cropping.
• 🔧 Manual contrast and brightness setting for each scan.
• 📎 Watermarks and signatures (useful for legal documents).
• 🌐 Exporting to the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive).

Step-by-step:

1. Install CamScanner from Google Play.
2. Launch the application and select Scan mode**.
3. Take a picture of the document (automatically or manually).
4. Edit the boundaries, apply the filter ("Document", "Photo", "C/B"**).
5. Save the file in PDF or JPG, and also send it by email or messenger.

In the free version, CamScanner adds a watermark "Generated by CamScanner" to the scans. To remove it, you need to subscribe (from 200 to five years). ₽/A month or a trial period, and the free version has a limited number of scans per day (up to 10 scans per day).

We compared CamScanner and Adobe Scan with a workbook scan:

• 🔹 Adobe Scan is better at small text and printing.
• 🔹 CamScanner offers more export options, including TXT and DOCX).
• 🔹 Both apps correctly recognized Russian text, but Adobe Scan made fewer errors in surnames.

6.Scanning through Notes (Notes): Unobvious Lifehack

Few people know, but Xiaomi’s standard Notes app has a built-in document scanner that is not as powerful as specialized solutions, but can handle single-page documents (checks, business cards, receipts).

How it works:

1. Open the Notes app and create a new note.
2. Click on the icon «+» In the lower menu and select "Scan».
3. Point the camera at the document and take a picture.
4. Cut the edges and save the scan - it will attach to the note.

Advantages:

• ⚡ Instant Access – No additional applications need to be installed.
• 📌 The scan is tied to a note that is convenient for the organization (for example, you can create a note "Documents for the machine"** and attach all scans to it).
• 🔄 Sync with Xiaomi account (if enabled).

Disadvantages:

• 🚫 No exports to PDF — only JPG.
• 🚫 No. OCR and manual perspective correction.
• 🚫 Maximum scan resolution - 8 MP.

This is a method that's good for quick scans when there's no other tool at hand, like taking a picture of a check in a store or saving a copy of a receipt.

💡

For scanning documents on Xiaomi, it is optimal to use Adobe Scan (maximum quality) or Google Drive (cloud storage convenience). MIUI They are only suitable for simple tasks.

7 Advanced Settings: How to Improve Scan Quality

Even with the best app, the scanning result can be frustrating, if you don’t take into account the technical details. Here are 5 professional tips to help you get the perfect scan:

Lighting and background

• 💡 Use natural light (window) or two artificial light sources at an angle of 45.° document.
• 🖼️ The background should be contrasting: for light documents – dark, for dark – light.
• 🚫 Avoid direct glare (such as from a lamp over your head) – they create white spots on the scan.

2. Position of the camera

• 📏 Keep your phone parallel to the document – this minimizes perspective distortion.
• 📱 The optimal distance is 20-30 cm from the document.
• 🔄 If the document is large (A3 format), take a photo of it in parts and glue it in the editor.

3. Camera settings

• 🔍 Manually focus on the text (touch the screen in the document area).
• 📸 Turn it off. HDR — It can blur out small details.
• 🔘 Use a delay timer (2-3 seconds) to avoid hand shaking.

4. Post-processing

• 🎨 In applications like Adobe Scan or CamScanner, use the Black and White filter for text documents to reduce file size and improve readability.
• 🔧 If the text is blurry, increase contrast and sharpness in any graphic editor.

5. Formats and compression

• 📄 Choose for the text PDF 300-permission DPI — That's enough for print.
• 🖼️ For photo documents (passport, license) use JPG quality 90-100%.
• 📦 If you need to send a scan by email, compress PDF 150 DPI — This will reduce the weight of the file by 2-3 times without loss of quality.

To scan documents with holographic elements (passports, promotions), use the Photo mode instead of the Document mode - this will save the original colors and protect against distortion.

8. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced users sometimes have problems with scanning. TOP-5 errors and ways of solving them:

1. Blurred text

🔹 Reason: Hand tremors, autofocus is not working correctly or the document is lying on a soft surface (for example, on a bed).

🔹 Solution: Put the document on a hard surface (table, book), use a delay timer or an external descent button (for example, headphones).

2. Distorted perspective ("the trapezoid effect")

🔹 Reason: The camera is angled to the document.

🔹 Solution: Turn on grid lines in your camera settings and align your phone with them. Most scanner applications have auto-alignment.

3.Shadows by hands or telephone

🔹 The reason: The light source is behind your back, creating shadow from your phone or your head.

🔹 Solution: Illuminate the document from two sides (for example, two table lamps) or use an annular lamp.

4. Incorrect text recognition (OCR)

🔹 Reason: Too small, low contrast, or unupported language in settings OCR.

🔹 Solution: Before scanning, increase the contrast of the document (for example, by putting a dark sheet under it). OCR Select the correct language (e.g., "Russian" instead of "Russian»**).

5. Large file size

🔹 Reason: Scan saved in high resolution (600) DPI) or PNG.

🔹 Solution: 150-300 is enough for text documents DPI format PDF. Use online services like SmallPDF to compress without loss of quality.

⚠️ Note: When scanning colored documents (such as diplomas with a seal), do not use the black and white filter, this will lead to the loss of important details»**.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions