WhatsApp incorporates a integrated document scanner that turns your mobile camera into a tool for digitizing papers and sharing them as PDFs directly from a chat, without installing external applications or resorting to manual cropping.
The feature is being activated progressively in iOS and Android; it's a good idea to check the app store to see if there's an update pending. It's useful in everyday life, both for personal and work tasks, thanks to the ability to create single or multi-page PDFs without leaving the conversation.
How to scan documents from WhatsApp
Access is in the chat attachments menu; on iPhone you'll see the button + and on Android the icon of the clipFrom there, the flow to start the scan is always straightforward.
- Open the chat in which you want to send the document and tap To attach.
- Choose the option Document inside the menu.
- Choose Scan document to activate the camera in scanner mode.
When you launch the camera, you can capture a single sheet or add more pages before converting everything into a Multi-page PDFIf prompted, confirm with the Continue or Save button to proceed to the preview.
Capture modes and editing tools
The capture offers two modes: the Automatic, which detects edges and shoots when the frame is stable, and the Manual, which lets you take the photo when you see it clearly, ideal for complicated documents.
After the shot, a appears editable preview with options to adjust corners and crop, apply filters that improve readability (e.g., black and white) and rotate image if necessary.
If the page is not clear, you can repeat capture as many times as you want until you get a legible result. The system attempts to enhance the contrast to make the text easier to read.
For best results, ensure good lighting, place the document on a uniform background and align the phone parallel to the paper; these little tricks reduce reflections and prevent deformations.
Sending and creating the PDF
When you confirm the edit, WhatsApp automatically converts the scan into a PDF file. If you've added multiple pages, they'll be packaged into a single multi-page document ready to send.
Before sending it you can add a comment to the attachment. After sending, the PDF can be forwarded to other contacts, downloaded to your mobile phone, insert it into your Mac or upload to the cloud from the document viewer itself without any extra steps.
Availability and requirements
The feature is available in recent versions of WhatsApp for iOS and Android, with a gradual rollout by region and device. If it doesn't appear yet, update the app and wait for it to become available.
Access does not change: enter the chat, open Document → Scan document and follow the on-screen prompts. Some button names may vary slightly depending on the system.
Privacy & Security
The documents you send in PDF travel protected by the end-to-end encryption from WhatsApp, so that only the sender and recipient can access the content.
Even so, it is advisable to check the recipients, title and comment of the file before sending it, especially if it contains sensitive data such as IDs, contracts or payment receipts.
With this scanner, WhatsApp covers a common need: digitize and share documents in seconds, with built-in cropping and enhancement tools, encrypted delivery, and without relying on external utilities that add additional steps or security concerns.
