How to Scan Receipts With Your Phone (iPhone and Android)

You don't need a scanner or a special app to digitize receipts. On an iPhone, open Notes or Files, choose Scan Documents, point the camera at the receipt and save. On Android, open the Google Drive app, tap the Camera button, take the photo, adjust it and save it as a PDF or JPG. Either way, check that the date, vendor, total and tax are sharp before you file the scan.

Below are the steps for each phone, tips for scans that stay readable, and a simple way to file and use them. Menus change between versions. The iPhone steps follow Apple's support article for iOS 26, and the Android steps follow Google's Drive Help, both checked in October 2026. If a button looks different on your phone, check the app's own help.

Scanning receipts on an iPhone

Using Notes

Apple's support article "How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad" describes these steps:

1. Open Notes and select a note or create a new one.
2. Tap the Attachment button, then tap Scan Documents.
3. Place the receipt in view of the camera. In iOS 26 you can also pick options such as flash or an image filter.
4. In Auto mode, the document scans automatically. To capture manually, tap the Shutter button or press a Volume button.
5. Drag the corners to fit the receipt, then tap Keep Scan.
6. Tap Done, or keep scanning more receipts into the same document.

Apple also notes that in an open note you can tap the More button, then Scan. Steps differ in iOS 17 and earlier, and Apple links to separate instructions for those versions.

Using Files

To save scans straight into a folder, which is handy for a receipts folder per tax year:

1. In the Files app, tap the More button.
2. Tap Scan Documents.
3. Scan as above: auto or shutter, adjust the corners, Keep Scan.
4. Tap Done, choose a location, then tap Save.

If you'd rather just use the Camera app, that works too. Recent iPhones often save photos in the HEIC format, and some tools can't open HEIC files, which is worth knowing when you upload them later.

Scanning receipts on Android with Google Drive

Google's Drive Help article "Scan documents with Google Drive" describes these steps for Android:

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. At the bottom right, tap Camera.
3. Point the camera at the receipt. A blue line outlines the area that will be cropped.
4. Take the photo. You can switch between Manual and Auto capture.
5. Adjust the scan: Crop & Rotate, Filter (colors or grayscale), Clean (erase stains or fingers), Add another page, Retake or Delete.
6. Tap Done, then enter a file name or pick a suggested title.
7. Choose .pdf or .jpg, optionally tap Location to pick a Drive folder, then tap Save.

Google's article also describes a Drive scan home-screen widget that opens the scanner straight into a chosen folder. That's useful if you scan receipts often.

Many Android phones also have a scanner built into the camera or a notes app. The steps vary by manufacturer, so check your phone's help pages.

Tips for scans that stay readable

A scan is only useful if someone can read it later, possibly years later. Some habits help:

• Flat and still. Smooth out creases and lay the receipt on a flat surface. Hold the phone parallel to it.
• Contrast. A dark, plain background makes edge detection easier for white receipts.
• Light without glare. Daylight or an even room light works best. Turn the flash off if it creates a hot spot on glossy paper.
• Whole receipt. Include the header (vendor name and address) and the footer (totals, tax, payment method). For long receipts, use multi-page scanning or overlapping photos.
• Zoom to check. Before you move on, zoom in on the date, total and tax lines. If they're blurry, rescan.
• Scan early. Thermal till receipts fade over time, so scan them while they're crisp.
• Both sides if anything is written or printed on the back.

Naming and filing your scans

A folder full of Scan 14.pdf files isn't much better than a shoebox. Rename each scan when you save it:

2026-03-14_staples_54.20.pdf

Date first (year-month-day) keeps files in date order, and vendor and amount make them searchable. Save into one folder per tax year, for example Receipts/2026, in iCloud Drive, Google Drive or whichever cloud storage you use. The full system (folders, categories and a weekly routine) is in how to organize receipts for taxes.

Whether you can then throw away the paper depends on your country's rules. See can you throw away receipts after scanning?

From scans to a spreadsheet

Scanning gets the receipts stored. To total them for taxes or an expense report, you still need the numbers in a spreadsheet: date, vendor, category, tax and total. You can type them in (see the receipt spreadsheet guide) or extract them in a batch.

ReceiptBatch accepts JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC and PDF files, including iPhone photos, and turns a whole folder of them into one Excel or CSV file with a row per receipt. Our iPhone receipts to Excel page shows how that works with HEIC photos. Review the extracted rows against your scans, and keep the scans as your evidence.

A weekly 10-minute routine

1. Empty your wallet or receipt tray.
2. Scan each receipt with Notes, Files or Drive into this year's folder.
3. Rename each file as you save it.
4. Add the week's receipts to your spreadsheet, by hand or in a batch.
5. Put the paper in a monthly envelope until you've checked the scans.

FAQ

Do I need a receipt scanner app?

Not necessarily. The scanners built into iPhone Notes and Files, and the Google Drive app on Android, produce clean, cropped scans for free. Dedicated apps add things like automatic data extraction, categorization or accounting integrations.

Should I save receipts as PDF or JPG?

Either is widely accepted. PDF is convenient for multi-page receipts and long-term storage. JPG is simpler for single images. Pick one and use it consistently.

Is a photo as good as a scan?

Usually, if it's sharp, complete and legible. Scanner modes help by cropping, flattening and boosting contrast automatically, which makes the result easier to read.

How do I scan a long receipt?

Use the multi-page option (keep scanning into the same document) with overlapping sections, or fold the receipt into panels and scan each one. Make sure the header and totals are both captured.