Quick Answer
On Chromebooks with a camera, open the built-in Camera app, switch to Scan mode, and photograph the document — ChromeOS automatically detects the edges, corrects perspective, and saves it as a PDF or image. If you have a physical scanner or all-in-one printer, connect it and scan through that device’s companion app instead.
Method 1: Camera App Document Scanning
Step 1: Open the Camera app
Find it in your app launcher or shelf. Not all Chromebooks have a camera capable of document scanning — tablet-style and convertible models are more likely to support it than clamshell laptops with a webcam only.
Step 2: Switch to Scan mode
Look for a mode selector along the bottom or side of the Camera app interface and choose Scan (sometimes labeled as a document icon).
Step 3: Frame the document and capture
Hold the Chromebook over the document (or the document up to a built-in camera on a convertible) so the page fills the frame. The app highlights detected edges — capture once the outline looks correct.
Step 4: Adjust and save
After capture, you can crop, rotate, or adjust the detected corners manually before saving. Scans save to your Files app, typically in the Downloads or Camera folder, as a PDF or image file.
Method 2: Scanning via a Physical Scanner or All-in-One Printer
If your scanner or printer has ChromeOS support (check the manufacturer’s site), install its app from the Play Store and scan directly through it. If it doesn’t have a dedicated app, many scanners work through the built-in Print and Scan settings if they’re on the same network — go to Settings > Printers after first confirming the device is connected the same way you’d connect a printer.
What to Do With the Scanned File
Once scanned, you can annotate or add a signature directly using our guide on filling out and signing PDFs on a Chromebook, or move the file to another device using the methods in our file sharing guide.
Still Not Fixed?
If the Camera app doesn’t show a Scan option, your specific model’s camera hardware or ChromeOS version may not support it — try installing a third-party scanning app like Microsoft Lens or Adobe Scan from the Play Store instead, both of which work well on Chromebooks with Android app support.
FAQ
Does every Chromebook support document scanning?
No — it depends on the camera hardware and ChromeOS version. Convertibles and tablets with a rear camera are more likely to support it natively than basic clamshell models.
Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF?
The built-in Camera app typically saves one page per scan. For multi-page PDFs, a third-party app like Adobe Scan or Microsoft Lens handles combining multiple pages into a single file.
Where do my scans get saved?
Check the Files app, usually under Downloads or a Camera-specific folder, depending on your ChromeOS version.
