While we live in a more digital world these days, physical documents still have their place. But who wants to keep stacks of paper around? Thankfully, you can easily convert those important documents into PDFs – a universally recognized digital format – using your iPhone and a handy app you already have: Notes.

Why PDFs?

For those unfamiliar, PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It essentially creates a digital image of a physical document, allowing you to store and share it electronically. This is much easier than lugging around folders or scanning for that one crucial paper you misplaced.

No extra apps needed

Many PDF apps are available, but you won’t need to download a single one to create a PDF from a physical document with your iPhone. Apple‘s Notes app does the trick perfectly.

How to create a PDF from a paper document

Here’s how to use your iPhone’s Notes app to create a PDF from paper document:

1. New note, new beginning: Open the Notes app and tap the icon in the corner to create a new note.
2. Attach and scan: Tap the paperclip icon (the “Attach” icon) and select “Scan Documents” from the menu.
3. Center stage: Hold your phone’s camera directly over the document you want to scan. Put the document on a flat surface with a contrasting background for the best results – this helps the app find the edges more easily.
4. Scan away: The Notes app will automatically detect the document’s edges and scan it. A thumbnail image of the scan will appear in the bottom left corner.
5. Multi-page marvels: For documents with multiple pages, simply flip the page and the app will prompt you that it’s “Ready for next scan.” Be quick though, holding the camera over the same page for too long will result in a rescan of the same page.
6. Saving success: Once you’ve scanned all your pages and are happy with the results, tap “Save” in the bottom right corner. If you need to make adjustments, tap on the scan thumbnail to edit.
7. Editing options: The editing tools allow you to adjust margins, change the scan to grayscale or black and white, rotate the image, or even delete it entirely. If you’re really unhappy, you can always tap “Retake” in the top right corner to start over.
8. Final touches: When you’re satisfied with your scan, tap “Done” in the top left corner, followed by “Save” in the bottom right corner.

How to create PDFs from existing files

What if you have digital documents already stored on your phone, like in Files, Safari, Photos, or other apps? You can convert those to PDFs as well, using either Markup or Print depending on the app.

1. Open the file: Locate the file you want to convert and open it in its respective app.
2. Find the share icon: Look for the “Share” icon, usually located in the bottom left corner.
3. Markup or print: Depending on the app, you’ll see either “Markup” or “Print” as options.
4. Annotate away (optional): If you selected “Markup,” you can use the provided tools to draw or write on the PDF before saving it. Once finished, tap “Done” followed by “Save File To…“
5. Save and name: Choose where you want to save your new PDF and give it a descriptive name.
6. Printing power: If you select “Print,” a screen with thumbnails will appear. Long press on the thumbnail you want and tap it. This will generate a PDF version of the document.
7. Finally, tap on the “Share” icon again and choose where you want to save your new PDF, such as Files or another app.