How to scan a document on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to quickly convert paper text to digital format, the built-in capabilities of the MIUI and HyperOS shells allow you to do this without installing additional software, the text recognition function is built deep into the system, which ensures high speed and accuracy of translation.

Today’s optical character recognition (OCR) algorithms work wonders even in imperfect lighting. You don’t have to look for an office scanner or plug in a bulky printer. Xiaomi’s built-in scanner can recognize text with 98 percent accuracy, which is superior to many paid counterparts, making the smartphone a versatile tool for a student or office worker.

In this article, we'll look at all the ways that we can digitize documents, look at standard applications, hidden camera features, and alternative solutions for complex cases, and learn how to save text, tables, and even formulas in an editable way.

Using the built-in scanner through the Camera app

The fastest way to get digital text is to use the standard Camera app, and Xiaomi engineers have integrated a powerful recognition module right into the viewfinder, and you don't have to go into the deep menu settings to activate this feature, you just swipe it in photo mode.

Click on the "More" icon or swipe down the bottom menu until you find Documents or Scanner mode. In some versions of the firmware, it may be called Text. After switching, point the lens over a piece of paper, the system automatically determines the boundaries of the document and performs perspective alignment.

Once you release the shutter, you can have multiple options for processing the image, and you can save the file as a normal image, PDF-It's a document or a text extractor. It's locally recognized on the device, so you don't need the Internet for basic work.

• 📸 Open the Camera app and select Documents mode».
• 🖼️ Point the camera at the text and wait for autofocus.
• 💾 Press the shutter button and select the save format.
• 📝 Use the Copy Text button to extract data instantly.

⚠️ WARNING: When shooting long checks or invoices, use Panorama mode inside the scanner to avoid blurring the edges of the document.

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For better scanning quality of matte book pages, use HDR mode to remove glare from light bulbs.

Setting up and using Google Lens

An alternative to native solutions is Google Lens, which is often pre-installed or available through a search bar widget, and its main advantage is its powerful cloud database and support for many languages, including rare dialects.

You can run the service through a desktop widget or Google Photos. Open any photo of a document and click the "Lens" button. The system will analyze the image and highlight the text blocks, you can select a specific paragraph, copy it, translate it or search the Internet.

The thing about Google Lens is that it can work with complex layouts, so if you have tables or columns in a document, the algorithm will try to keep them structured when you copy them, which is critical when you're working with financial statements or technical specifications.

To activate voice search or visual analysis, just click the appropriate icon in the widget. The interface is intuitive: you just swipe across the screen, selecting the desired areas. All the data recognized can be immediately sent to Google Translate or Google Docs.

Scanning through the Mi Note app (Notes)

The MIUI Notes app is an underrated text tool that allows you to not just take a photo, but structure information right away. You have a new note creation menu that has an image add button that starts scanning.

Select the text type and click on the camera icon, and text recognition is available. Once you've taken the shot, the system will prompt you to recognize the content and paste it directly into the body of the note, ideal for creating drafts, notes or to-do lists based on paper media.

The advantage of the method is that you get editable text right away. You don't have to go to other apps or clipboards. Sync through your Mi Account allows you to access those records on your tablet or other Xiaomi phone instantly.

You can select a recognition language in the application settings, you can simultaneously define multiple languages, which is convenient for bilingual documents, and you can also format it, so that the system can arrange paragraphs and indents.

• 📝 Create a new note in the Mi Note app.
• 🔍 Select the “Recognize Text” option in the attachment menu.
• 🌐 Make sure you choose the right language for analysis.
• ✏️ Edit the recognized text directly in the note interface.

Work with tables and complex documents

Digitizing tables is a complex task for any mobile scanner. Standard algorithms often float when trying to save cells. However, new versions of HyperOS have introduced a feature called "Scanner of tables", which is specifically tailored for this task.

When you select table scanning mode, the system builds a grid over the image, you can manually adjust the cell boundaries if the automation is wrong, and once you save the file, you can export it in Excel or CSV format, which allows you to perform calculations immediately.

For documents with watermarks or complex backgrounds, it is recommended to use manual contrast settings. Before saving, adjust the brightness and contrast settings to make the text as clear as possible, which will increase the likelihood of correct character recognition.

If the document is multi-page, use the "Package Scan" mode. The camera will take a series of pictures and then combine them into one. PDF-The order of the pages can be changed to preview before the final saving.

⚠️ Warning: When scanning tables on glossy paper, be sure to turn off the flash to avoid lighting up the cells.

Third-party applications for professionals

Embedded funds may not be enough for enterprise use, with specialized Google Play apps coming to the rescue, with Adobe Scan, CamScanner and Microsoft Lens leading the way.

These programs offer advanced features: automatic removal of shadow from the finger, improving readability of faded text and recognition. QR-They can also send scanned files directly to the cloud or to print.

Some applications require subscriptions to work fully with OCR, but the basic functionality is often free. Integration with office suites allows you to edit scanned documents directly on the fly, saving time when preparing reports.

Installing a third-party scanner is justified if you work with a large amount of documentation daily, and the automation of the process of renaming and sorting files in such applications is implemented better than in stock solutions Xiaomi.

Saving and organizing scanned files

After scanning, it is important to save the result correctly. By default, the files go to the gallery or the Downloads folder. To avoid losing important documents, create a separate folder structure, such as Scanners/Finance or Scanners/Work.

Use cloud services to back up, set up a folder sync with scans in Google Drive or Yandex.Disk to protect data from loss when your phone breaks, and it will also free up the device's internal memory.

For quick access to commonly used templates (like application forms), add a folder shortcut to your desktop, which will speed up the archiving process in the future, regularly review accumulated scans and delete irrelevant ones.

Don't forget security. If you scan passports or bank cards, set a password on a folder, or use Second Space in MIUI, this will hide sensitive data from prying eyes.

• 📂 Create a logical folder structure for storing scans.
• ☁️ Set up automatic booting to cloud storage.
• 🔒 Hide your personal documents in a secure folder.
• 🗑️ Regularly clean the storage of temporary files.

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Regular file organization and cloud backup are key to ensuring that important documents are not lost in the digital chaos.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)