In the digital age, the need for bulky office scanners is gradually fading into the background. Modern smartphones, especially Xiaomi devices, are equipped with powerful cameras and advanced software that allow you to create high-quality copies of documents in seconds. Mobile scanning has become the de facto standard for students, office workers and anyone who values their time.
Mi and Redmi users are more fortunate than many other Android smartphones because they have a few built-in text tools at their disposal. You don’t have to search for and install third-party programs that may contain ads or require extra permissions. In this article, we’ll take a look at all the ways you can create digital copies.
We're going to look at both the native features of MIUI or HyperOS, and the capabilities of the standard Camera app, and you're going to learn not just to photograph paper, but to get clean, aligned images ready to be sent to government agencies or to a printer, and that knowledge will turn your gadget into a full-fledged mobile office.
⚠️ Attention: The quality of the scan is directly dependent on the lighting and cleanness of the camera lens. Before starting work, be sure to wipe the lens with a soft cloth to avoid blurred areas in the final image.
Use of the built-in "Scanner" application
The most obvious and often ignored way is to use a pre-installed system application, which on Xiaomi smartphones is usually called simply the “Scanner” and has an icon with a square or barcode image, QR-Translation and translation of text in real time.
When you launch an app, you get into an interface that's set up to recognize codes by default, but switching to Documents or Text mode changes the image processing algorithms. The camera automatically determines the boundaries of a piece of paper, even if you take a photo at an angle, which allows you to get a perfectly flat copy without distorting perspective.
After pressing the shutter button, the system will prompt you to choose a color mode: color, black and white or shades of gray. For text documents, the best mode is "Ch/B" or "Gray" mode, since it removes background noise and makes the text more contrasting. The finished file can be immediately saved in the gallery or sent via the messenger.
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Use the Improve mode in the Scanner app to automatically remove shadows and align the color of the paper, making the document look like a machine copy.
Scanning through a standard camera
If an individual app icon is lost in folders, you can use the standard Camera. In the latest versions of the MIUI and HyperOS shell, developers have integrated scan mode directly into the photo shoot interface, which eliminates the need to switch between applications if you need to quickly capture information.
To activate this feature, open the camera app and search the Documents or Text section at the top or in the "More" section. In some Redmi and Poco models, this mode may be called Document Mode. When you hover your lens over a piece of paper, the system automatically illuminates the scanning area with a yellow frame.
The main advantage of this method is speed. You don't have to open a separate application, just one swipe in camera mode, but the functionality here can be reduced compared to a full-fledged Scanner. For example, there may be no possibility of batch scanning several pages in one PDF-file.
- 📷 Automatic definition of the boundaries of the sheet is instantaneous.
- 🎨 Filters are available to improve text readability.
- ⚡ Quick access without looking for additional programs.
- 📄 Ability to save immediately in image format.
⚠️ Warning: When scanning through a standard camera, make sure the document is on a contrasting background. If you put a white sheet on a white countertop, the algorithm may not recognize the edges.
Working with the Google Drive app
For users who prefer the Google ecosystem or do not find a native scanner on their device (which happens on global firmware), the Google Drive app will be a great solution. It is preinstalled on most Xiaomi smartphones and has a powerful built-in scanning module.
To get started, launch the app, click on the + icon in the lower right corner and select Scan. The camera interface will open, which works similarly to specialized scanners. You can take a picture, add more pages if necessary, and save the result immediately to cloud storage.
The main advantage of using Google Drive is instant sync, the scanned document automatically becomes available on all your devices where you sign in to this account, and Google’s built-in OCR algorithm is considered one of the best on the market.
The path to function: Google Drive → Button + → ScanCreate a PDF from several pages
Often, you have to send more than one page, but a multi-page contract or passport with a residence permit, in which case it is important to combine all images into one file. The built-in Scanner app on Xiaomi allows you to do this natively, creating a single document in PDF format.
After scanning the first page, take your time to close the application. The preview interface usually has an Add button or a + icon to scan the next sheet, and you can go through all the pages of the document in a sequential manner, rotating them as needed.
When all the pages are filmed, the system will suggest saving the result. Choose the PDF format. This will ensure the file's versatility: it will look the same on any computer and smartphone, and it will not be accidentally moved or changed, as it happens with pictures.
☑️ Checklist of quality scan
Comparison of scanning methods
To make it easier for you to choose the right tool, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you understand in which situations it is better to use Xiaomi’s built-in tools and when to turn to third-party solutions.
| Method | Quality of processing | Convenience (PDF) | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appendix "Scanner" | High. | Got it (automatically) | No. |
| Camera mode | Average. | Conversion required | No. |
| Google Drive | Very high. | There is. | No. |
| Third-party annexes | Depends on the software. | Eat (often paid) | Often |
As you can see from the table, the native Scanner app benefits from a combination of factors for the average user: it's free, it doesn't require the Internet to work, and it doesn't have intrusive advertising, but if you want complex text processing or table recognition, Google's functionality may be more useful.
Why does the scan turn out to be curved?
Frequent problems and their solution
Despite the system's cleverness, users may encounter some difficulties, such as an application not seeing text or delivering a save error, most often due to a lack of free memory or permission conflicts.
If the Scanner doesn’t start or crashes right after you open, check for updates for system components in the GetApps store or Google Play. It’s also worth clearing the app cache through your smartphone settings. Sometimes a simple restart of the device helps.
Another common problem is the low contrast of the final image, in which case you don't rely on automation, manually adjust the brightness and contrast settings in the editor immediately after scanning, and it's critical to avoid glare from the glossy surface of the documents, as the camera perceives them as white noise.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use digital zoom when scanning. This does not bring the object closer optically, but simply cuts and stretches the picture, which leads to loss of text clarity and the appearance of a grain».
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Xiaomi’s built-in tools provide sufficient functionality for 95% of household and office tasks without requiring additional software installation.
Text processing and recognition (OCR)
Xiaomi's current smartphones not only create pictures, but also understand what's written on them. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) allows you to extract text from an image and copy it to a clipboard, which is indispensable for working with books or handwritten notes.
In the Scanner app, after you create a copy, click on the "Unclose Text" or "Text" button, and the system will analyze the image and highlight the text blocks, you can copy the entire text at once or select individual paragraphs, and it supports recognition of Russian, English and many other languages.
To improve recognition accuracy, try to take pictures in good light and flat font. Handwriting is less recognizable, especially if the handwriting is indistinct. In such cases, manual correction after copying may be necessary.
- 📝 Ability to translate text on the fly.
- 💾 Saving in editable format.
- 🔍 Search for keywords in a scanned document.
- 🌐 Support for multiple language packages.