Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

HomeBlog
Tip of the Week: How to Capture an Image or Document as a PDF in Android

Tip of the Week: How to Capture an Image or Document as a PDF in Android

December 16, 2022

Google Drive comes with a pre-built feature allowing users to scan a picture or document, and save it as a PDF—at least for Android smartphones. The trick can be pulled off with just a couple of taps, making it easier than ever to import documents to your Drive. Here’s how it’s done.

Scan Your Documents to Save Them as PDFs In Drive

Smartphones are a must-have technology in the office, so you don’t need to use the bulky scanner to transport copies of your documents to a cloud service like Google Drive. All you need is your camera and your Google Drive account.

First, go to your Google Drive on your phone. You must then tap the plus sign button to start adding new files to your Drive. There will be a list of options that appears; select Scan to proceed.

This should tell your device to open up the Camera app. You’ll have to provide permissions for it to access Google Drive if you haven’t already done so. Once you’re ready, frame the document with your camera and take the picture. Just confirm that the picture is the one you wish to proceed with, then tap OK.

Google Drive will make some changes to the picture, but you can adjust these yourself by making manual edits. You can add multiple pages to your new PDF as well by using the Add Page button. Once you’re done, tap Save.

Once you are done, name your file and determine which folder you want it to go to. Now you can add any documents you want to your Google Drive without using a scanner.

What kinds of tips would you like to see us cover in the future? Be sure to contact us at (571) 470-5594 and let us know.

Previous Post
January 12, 2026
Improving Your IT Helps Your Customers, Too
The purpose of your business is to deliver goods or services to your target customers or clients. To this end, you can use technology to dramatically improve operations and create a better product for your consumers. Let’s discuss how you can use technology to build better internal practices to in turn create a better customer experience.
January 9, 2026
Why is My Internet So Slow When I Have Full Bars?
Few things in the office are as frustrating as Internet connectivity issues, right? The router is right there, you seem to have a strong Wi-Fi signal, but your virtual meeting keeps disconnecting. What gives?
January 7, 2026
Why Proactive Monitoring is Your Essential Defense
In IT services, we often use the iceberg analogy to describe the Internet. The Surface Web, the sites you browse daily, is just the 10 percent visible above the waterline. Below that lies the Deep Web, and at the murky bottom is the Dark Web.

Have a project in mind?

Start with our free consultation. We will provide a detailed proposal and firm quote based on your specific IT support needs. All at a predictable monthly cost per seat.
Free Consultation - Sign Up Here