How do I scan a document with my phone?
Updated 5 Oct 2026 · 3 min read
The ViamOne app on iPhone and Android has a built-in scanner. It finds the edges of the page, straightens it, and keeps every page you scan together as one PDF in your vault. There's also a separate camera for cards, so you can keep the front and back of an ID or insurance card together.
Scanning is only in the phone app. If you don't have it yet, see How do I get ViamOne on my phone?.
Scan a document
- Open the ViamOne app and tap Vault.
- Tap the round + button near the bottom of the screen. The Add to Vault menu opens.
- Tap Scan Document. If your phone asks for camera access, allow it.
- Hold the phone over the page. The scanner captures the page by itself once it sees the edges, so hold still a second on the first page while the camera focuses.
- Turn to the next page and let it capture again. Repeat for every page.
- When you've captured every page, finish the scan in the scanner.
All the pages are saved as one PDF named "Scan" with today's date. A card at the bottom of the screen shows the upload, then tells you the file was added to the vault.
You can also start from Home: tap the + at the top, then Scan Document under Add to Vault.
Scan a card, front and back
- In the Add to Vault menu, tap Scan Card · front & back.
- Line up the front of the card inside the frame and tap the shutter button. If you're holding the phone sideways, tap Holding the phone sideways? to turn the frame.
- Check the picture. Tap Retake to try again, Turn round if it's upside down, or Use front to keep it.
- Do the same for the back, then tap Use both. If the back is blank, tap Just the front instead.
The front and back are kept together as one two-page document.
Take a single photo
For something that isn't a flat page, like a label on an appliance, tap Take Photo in the Add to Vault menu. This takes one ordinary photo with no cropping.
Security: Scans go straight into your vault. They aren't saved to your phone's photo gallery, so they don't sit there for others to see.
When is a scan read?
Your phone reads the text of a scan before sending it, so ViamOne can usually finish reading it straight away instead of waiting for your plan's reading schedule. If the phone couldn't make out the text, the scan waits like any other PDF. See When will my document be read?.
Tip: Scan in good light on a dark, plain surface. The edges are easier to find and the text is sharper.
Didn't work?
It says camera access is needed
The app can't use the camera until you allow it. Open your phone's Settings, find ViamOne, and turn on Camera. Then try again.
It says the scan is over the 10 MB limit
Each document can be up to 10 MB. Scan fewer pages at a time, or hold the phone a little further from the page, and try again.
The first page came out blurry
The scanner captures as soon as it sees the page, sometimes before the camera has focused. Hold the phone still for a second on the first page.
It says scanning isn't available in this app version
Update the ViamOne app from the App Store or Google Play, then try again.
Still need help?
Create a ticket and a person on our team will reply right here, on the support site.