# Scan documents to PDF with your phone or webcam

Source: https://www.mergevanta.com/scan-to-pdf
Updated: 2026-10-22

> Scan to PDF free with no watermark: use your phone camera or photos, straighten pages, crisp black & white or enhanced looks, A4 or Letter. No app needed.

Photograph pages with your camera or add photos, straighten each one from its corners, pick a clean black-and-white or enhanced look and save one PDF. It's free, has no watermark and needs no app — your photos never leave your device.

## How do I scan a document to PDF with my phone without an app?

Open Mergevanta's Scan to PDF in your phone's browser, tap Use camera and photograph each page. Drag the corners onto the paper's edges or tap Detect edges, choose a look such as Black & white, then press Create PDF. It's free, adds no watermark and the photos never leave your phone.

## Key facts

- **Price:** Free
- **Watermark:** None
- **Sign-up:** Not required
- **Accepts:** Camera, JPG, PNG, WebP
- **You get:** One .pdf with A4, Letter or photo-sized pages
- **Processing:** In your browser — files never leave your device
- **Files stored:** Never
- **Works on:** Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android

## Why use Mergevanta

- **Straightens tilted pages:** Drag four corners, or tap Detect edges, and the page is flattened with perspective correction — no more slanted, trapezoid scans.
- **Looks that read well:** Black & white gives crisp text and removes shadows; Enhance whitens the paper and lifts contrast. Grayscale and Original are there too.
- **Sensible file sizes:** Pages are saved at up to 200 dpi, and black-and-white pages are stored as 1-bit images, so text stays sharp while the PDF stays small.
- **Private by design:** The camera and your photos are used only in this tab. Nothing is uploaded, and the camera switches off as soon as you're done.

## How to use it

1. Tap Use camera and take one photo per page, or press Choose photos to add pictures you already have.
2. Tap Done, then drag the four dots onto the corners of each page — or tap Detect edges.
3. Use Rotate if a page is sideways and pick a Look: Original, Grayscale, Black & white or Enhance.
4. Put pages in order with the arrow buttons, then choose the Page size (A4, Letter or Fit to image) and Margin.
5. Press Create PDF and download your scan.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to install an app?

No. Scan to PDF works in the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android phones and computers with a webcam. Allow camera access when your browser asks.

### Are my photos uploaded?

No. The photos are processed and the PDF is made on your device. Nothing is sent to Mergevanta's server, and the camera turns off when you close it or leave the page.

### What if the camera is blocked or doesn't open?

Allow the camera in your browser's site settings and try again, or tap Open camera app to take the photos with your phone's own camera — they're added the same way. You can also choose photos you already have.

### What resolution are the scanned pages?

Pages are saved at up to 200 dpi, sharp enough to read and print small text, and never beyond the detail your photo actually has. A closer, well-lit photo gives a crisper page.

### Can I make the scanned PDF searchable?

Yes. Open the finished file in [OCR PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/ocr-pdf) to add an invisible text layer, so you can search, select and copy the words.

### How do I fix a page that is sideways or upside down?

Tap the page and press Rotate. Each tap turns it 90° clockwise, and its corners turn with it.

## Related tools

- [OCR PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/ocr-pdf)
- [JPG to PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/jpg-to-pdf)
- [Compress PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/compress-pdf)