Skip to content 
The scan icon in the Notes app allows you to scan documents and upload them as PDFs. If you need someone to sign a document, for example, you can scan the document and then send it to them, allowing them to sign it electronically.
But what if the camera icon is missing from the Notes toolbar? This happens often, but there’s a good reason for it. Here’s how to find it again and take a photo of your document.
Know How the Icon Looks
The icon to scan documents, in newer iOS versions, looks like this:
Make sure you are looking for this icon. It doesn’t look exactly like a camera. If you are searching for a camera icon, you might overlook it.
Use an iCloud (or “On My iPhone”) Note, Not Mail-Synced Notes
The first thing to do is make sure you are creating a note in the iCloud or “On My iPhone” folder and not in any other folder, like a Gmail or Yahoo folder. The ability to scan documents is only available in those two folders, so when creating a new note, create it in the iCloud or “On My iPhone” folders.
Look for the Paperclip Icon
In newer iOS versions, the scanning icon moved. To find it, first press the paperclip (attachments) icon, which looks like this:
Then, you should see the scan icon appear. Click on the scan icon to scan a document. If you still don’t see the scan icon, make sure the note is in an iCloud or “On My iPhone” folder.
Update iOS and Notes
If you still don’t see the scan icon, update iOS. Since Notes is a built-in app, this should also update the Notes app. It could be that you have an older version of Notes that doesn’t have the same scan icon in the same place.
Use the Files App as an Alternative
If you still can’t scan a document in Notes, use the Files app instead. Here is how to scan a document using the Files app:
- Open the Files app.
- Click on the More icon, which looks like this:
- Click on Scan Documents.
- If your phone doesn’t automatically scan the document, click on the shutter button to scan a document. Drag the corners to ajdust the scan size and click on Keep Scan.
- Click on Save to save your scan.
Conclusion
I hope this guide was helpful! The scan icon is currently under the paperclip menu, but the note must be in the “On My iPhone” or iCloud folder for it to appear. If you still can’t scan, you can always use the Files app as an alternative instead of scanning in Notes.
