ZDNET Key Takeaways
- You don’t need to install third-party apps to create PDFs.
- The process is built-in and free to use.
- Use caution when creating PDFs of sensitive information.
At some point, you’ll need to create and send a PDF document from your Android phone. To do this, I’m sure you’ve scoured the Google Play Store, only to wonder “Which app is the best and safest?”
With reports of malicious apps being found on both Android and iOS, it has become important that you keep security at the top of your list. That’s why I always recommend you to try pre-installed apps before going to the store.
Too: I tried Google’s new desktop app for Windows, and I’ll never search the old way again
Same is the case with creating PDF on Android from paper documents. You don’t need to install any software, as the capability is built right into the Google Drive app. Let me show you how easy it is.
How to convert your scans to PDF on Android
what you’ll need: To make this work, you need to install the Google Drive app on your phone. Lucky for you, you should have it already installed on your Android device.
First of all you have to open the Google Drive app on your phone. This can be done either from the home screen launcher or from the app drawer.
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You’ll find Drive in the app drawer.
Jack WallenZDNET
You can create all kinds of things with the Google Drive app.
Jack WallenZDNET
Also: How to turn on data saver mode on your Android phone – and why it’s important to do so
Point your camera at the first page of any document you want to scan. Scan it, and then repeat the process until you’ve scanned every page you need. Once you’ve scanned each page, tap the right-pointing arrow button at the bottom right of the screen.
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Make sure to hold your phone horizontally.
Jack WallenZDNET
On the resulting page, you can enhance your scan using filters, cropping/rotating, and a cleanup tool, if necessary. Once you’re done, click Next.
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You can also clear the shadows from the filter.
Jack WallenZDNET
Next, you’ll need to name your scan (make sure to select PDF), and upload it. If you know you want to upload the scan to a specific location, you can tap the drop-down and then select the Google Drive folder that will contain the scan.
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I don’t know why this is the default in the Eyewear Prescription Filename.
Jack WallenZDNET
Too: How to Easily Encrypt Your Files on Android Phone – Free
Your scan is now available in the Google Drive folder you selected. Once you’ve uploaded the file, you can share it from within Google Drive. You’ll be surprised how obvious the results are.
As you can see, Android Google Drive PDF Scanner works great.
Jack WallenZDNET
an important warning
One thing to keep in mind is that, if you’re scanning sensitive documents, the Google Drive app doesn’t give you the ability to encrypt or password-protect the file. On top of that, the PDF will be in your Google Drive account.
For me, if I ever upload a document with sensitive information to Google Drive, I always delete it after sharing. You don’t want to leave sensitive information in Google Drive.
Also: 5 Google Drive tips to help you prevent disasters
And how easy it is to create PDF documents on your Android phone. One nice thing about it is that those PDF files are not saved on your device, so you don’t have to worry about them taking up space.
