Microsoft Lens - How to scan documents using your mobile device

Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) is a powerful scanning app that allows you to capture and digitize documents, whiteboards, business cards, and more. It also integrates well with Microsoft services like OneNote, OneDrive, and Word. Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Download and Install

• Go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).
• Search for Microsoft Lens and download the app.

Step 2: Set Up the App

• Open the app after installation.
• Sign in with your UT Southern email and password.

Step 3: Choose a Capture Mode

• After opening the app, you’ll see different modes at the bottom of the screen. Microsoft Lens has various scanning modes optimized for different kinds of content:
  • Document: For regular documents like receipts, letters, or printed papers (Most Common)
  • Photo: For general image capture. (Most Common)
  • Whiteboard: Best for capturing notes from a whiteboard or chalkboard.
  • Business Card: Captures contact information and can save it as a contact in your phone.

Select the appropriate mode depending on what you're scanning.

Step 4: Capture the Image

1. Align the Document: Place the document or object in the camera frame. The app will automatically detect the edges and highlight the part to be captured.
2. Scan: Once the document or object is detected properly, tap the Capture button (or it may auto-capture in some modes).
3. Adjust: You can adjust the borders by dragging the edges to crop the image as needed.
4. Add New (plus icon) button on the screen to scan additional documents.
5. Position the next document or page and repeat the scanning process

Step 5: Review and Edit

• After capturing, you can make adjustments like:
  • Crop: Further fine-tune the captured area.
  • Rotate: Adjust the orientation of the scan.
  • Filters: Apply filters to enhance the text visibility (e.g., grayscale, color, etc.).

Step 6: Save or Share the Scan

• After reviewing your scan, tap Done. Microsoft Lens gives you several saving and sharing options:
  • Save to Gallery: Save the scanned image or document to your phone's photo gallery.
  • Save as PDF: Convert your scan into a PDF.
  • OneNote: Save the scan directly to Microsoft OneNote.
  • OneDrive: Upload the scan to Microsoft OneDrive for cloud storage - Use this option for uploading to Canvas assignments
    • See the article, "Submitting a OneDrive file to a Canvas Assignment"
  • Word: Export the scan as an editable Word document with OCR (if text recognition is needed).
  • PowerPoint: Convert whiteboard or document scans into PowerPoint presentations.

Additional Features:

• Reorder Pages: If needed, you can reorder the pages before saving by dragging them into the correct sequence.
• Annotations: You can add notes or markups on each page if necessary before saving.

Microsoft Lens is versatile and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 services, making it an excellent choice for document scanning, especially if you use Microsoft apps.