Windows 10 Camera App Gets Document Scanning for Insiders
Microsoft is rolling out a new feature for Windows Insiders that enhances the Windows 10 Camera app by adding document scanning capabilities. This update aims to streamline the process of digitizing physical documents directly from a PC or tablet, improving accessibility and productivity for users searching for how to scan documents on Windows 10.
A Game-Changer for Document Digitization
With this new feature, users can scan documents, receipts, and notes using their device’s camera, similar to mobile scanning apps available on smartphones. This enhancement makes document scanning more accessible on Windows devices without needing third-party applications, a crucial update for those looking for best free document scanner for PC.
Key Features of the New Document Scanning Tool
- Auto-Detection of Documents – The camera app recognizes documents and automatically frames them for scanning.
- Edge Adjustment & Cropping – Users can refine the edges to ensure a clean scan.
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Integration – Extracts text from scanned documents for easy editing and searching, ideal for those searching how to extract text from scanned documents.
- Multiple Format Support – Saves scans in JPEG, PNG, or PDF formats.
- Cloud Syncing – Option to save scanned files directly to OneDrive for easy access across devices, beneficial for users looking for how to save scanned documents to OneDrive.
How to Access the Feature?
This new document scanning feature is currently available to Windows Insiders in the latest Windows 10 preview build. To test it out:
- Join the Windows Insider Program – Enroll via Windows Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program.
- Update Your Camera App – Ensure you have the latest Camera app version from the Microsoft Store.
- Open the Camera App – Select the new Document Mode and start scanning, making it easier for users searching for how to scan documents with Windows 10 camera.
Benefits of Native Document Scanning in Windows 10
- Eliminates the need for third-party scanning apps, answering the query best built-in document scanner for Windows.
- Enhances productivity by streamlining document digitization.
- Seamless integration with Windows 10’s ecosystem, making it a great solution for those searching for how to scan and store documents on PC.
- Improved security and privacy by keeping documents within the Windows environment.
Final Thoughts
The introduction of document scanning in the Windows 10 Camera app is a welcome addition for users who frequently digitize documents. By integrating advanced scanning features, Microsoft enhances the utility of Windows devices, making them more versatile for both personal and professional use.
Windows Insiders can try this feature now, and a broader rollout is expected soon.
Related Articles:
Windows Insider Program: Everything You Need to Know
All those who are working away from the office and lack a scanner to scan any document, usually have to ask for help from third parties, or have to download an application to perform this action.
But, before this is done, it should be known that Apple has worked to integrate this option into your iPhone long ago, Telegrafi reports.
With iOS 11 launched in 2017, Apple has also integrated the scanner, which can be found in Notes, while it is very useful nowadays when most are working away from the office as a result of the pandemic.
For those who didn’t know they had the scanning app on their iPhone, some tips are given, showing where it is and how it can be used.
Go to your iPhone’s Notes app and open a page, or click the little icon on the outside of the bottom.
Click on the camera icon when it appears in the menu and then select “Scan Documents” while holding the phone until it scans the entire document.
Be careful, if the scanner is in the automatic system, then it completes the process itself, while if it is in the manual format, then you need to take care to complete the scan yourself.
If you have to do it manually, then make sure that you have inserted all the corners of the document so that none are left unscanned.
Continue scanning if you have more pages, while selecting “Retake” if you want to erase everything and do a new scan from the beginning.
Press “Save” when everything is finished and you will have a PDF document, as if it was scanned in the office.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Generate Key Takeaways
- The Google Drive app’s built-in scanner is getting upgraded with auto enhancement for higher-quality scans.
- This new functionality includes white balance correction, shadow removal, and contrast enrichment, among other automatic editing tools.
- The changes will be rolled out to all Drive users on Android and iOS starting early next year.
The Google Drive app is a powerful cloud storage solution with the ability to do a lot more than just store your files and documents online. It also serves as an excellent document scanner, with the built-in functionality only getting better with each update. Google has now announced a significant upgrade to the Drive app’s built-in scanner, bringing much-needed improvements to the scanning quality.
In its weekly recap of the Workspace feature additions, Google said Drive will now leverage “auto enhancement” to turn standard paper-based documents “into higher quality images” at a faster pace.
This newly added functionality will manage aspects like white balance correction, shadow removal, contrast enrichment, auto sharpening, and light improvement, among other things, Google said. The company’s phrasing suggests these adjustments will vary based on the type of document going under the scanner.
Get rid of shadows from your scans
Screenshots shared by Google show how the auto enhancement function will work with smaller items, such as a takeaway order receipt. There’s some light and shadows on this receipt, as you can see in the first image above, but with the assistance of auto enhancement, the result looks much sharper.
This feature will undoubtedly take the pain out of document scanning, particularly in tricky lighting conditions. Google says it will gradually roll out these scanning improvements starting early next year to all Drive users through the Android and iOS apps, regardless of the Workspace tier they’re on. This means even people with personal Google accounts should find it on the app over the next few weeks.
Google has routinely made key changes to improve the scanning functionality in the Drive app. Just over a year ago, the app introduced a handy new Auto-capture toggle in the scanner to eliminate the need to align the camera with the document. The upcoming upgrade is easily the most critical feature addition to Drive’s built-in scanner since then. Meanwhile, in August, Google Drive started letting users save scanned items as JPEGs, with the app only supporting scans in the PDF format until that point.
Brother DSmobile DS-940DW Review
Brother’s feature-rich, manual-feed DS-940DW portable document scanner makes scans (and processes them) quickly, and it comes with all the software you’ll need for most tasks. It’s a terrific value.
Bottom Line
Brother’s feature-rich, manual-feed DS-940DW portable document scanner makes scans (and processes them) quickly, and it comes with all the software you’ll need for most tasks. It’s a terrific value.
- Pros
- Small and light.
- Fast scanning and processing.
- Accurate OCR.
- Solid software bundle.
- Easy to use.
- Autonomous scanning to microSD card.
- Wi-Fi and USB 3.0 connectivity.
- Cons
- No automatic document feeder.
- MicroSD card not included.
Brother DSmobile DS-940DW Specs
| Maximum Optical Resolution | 1200 pixels |
| Maximum Scan Area | 8.5 by 72 inches |
| Mechanical Resolution | 600 |
All Specs Table of ContentsSmall, Light, and WirelessConvenience and Productivity SoftwareHow Fast Can You Feed It?OCR Accuracy and Business Card Scanning TestsEasy, Fast, and Standalone Scanning
Brother’s DSmobile DS-940DW ($179.99) is a manual-feed portable document scanner designed for low-volume, one- and two-sided scan tasks on the road. Similar to our current top pick, Epson’s DS-80W Wireless Portable Document Scanner, the DS-940DW is accurate; comes with a comprehensive software bundle, a battery, and wireless connectivity; and goes the DS-80W one better by allowing you to scan to microSD flash memory cards. (In other words, when scanning to microSD, you don’t need to lug along a laptop—the scanner is self-contained.) All this taken together, the DSmobile DS-940DW cops an Editors’ Choice for single-sheet portable document scanners.
Small, Light, and Wireless
Before diving into a description of the DS-940DW, let’s look at an important distinction between two types of portable scanners: single-sheet or manual-feed models that accept just one page at a time (and must therefore be fed by hand), and sheet-fed travel scanners with automatic document feeders (ADFs) that hold multiple pages, such as the Editors’ Choice Epson WorkForce ES-300W Portable Wireless Duplex Document Scanner.
The capacity of the ADF varies by product; the ES-300W and several similar sheet-fed portables come with 20-sheet feeders. Obviously, the ES-300W and its ilk are better equipped to handle multipage scan jobs, whereas the DS-940DW and its competitors are designed for shorter, one- or two-page documents. The advantages of manual-feed devices are that they typically cost less and are significantly smaller and lighter.
With that in mind, let’s talk about the Brother scanner. It measures 1.8 by 12.6 by 2.5 inches and weighs about 1.5 pounds (or about half the ES-300W’s weight). Interestingly, though, the Epson DS-80W is a little shorter, about 2 inches narrower, and lighter still. (It weighs half as much as the DS-940DW.) However, aside from the Brother’s slot for a microSD card, the two devices are configured nearly identically. Both come with built-in rechargable batteries, and both support Wi-Fi and USB connectivity (though the DSmobile comes with a much faster USB 3.0 port and cable).
Even lighter is the Epson DS-70, which is essentially the DS-80W sans the battery and Wi-Fi. IRIScan’s Anywhere 5 Wi-Fi is also a little smaller and leaner than the DS-940DW, and it, too, comes with a battery and microSD support. Another PCMag favorite with a rechargable battery, the Xerox Duplex Travel Scanner, also takes up a little less backpack space than the Brother tested here, though it lacks wireless networking.
Wireless support and an internal power source, of course, allow the scanner to operate with no cords or cables, which is convenient, but the DS-940DW’s and Anywhere 5’s flash card support (a 4GB card is included with the latter) lets you scan autonomously, without being connected to a laptop, desktop, or handheld device. When you return to your home or office, you simply transfer your scans to your computer—a lot less to carry and fuss with.
You can operate the DS-940DW from your laptop or mobile device via the bundled software (which I’ll get to in a second) or from the control panel, which consists of three toggle buttons and corresponding status indicators. The three toggles are: color or monochrome scanning, saving to PDF or JPG file formats, and one-sided or two-sided scanning. There are also power and start/stop (Scan/Cancel) buttons, and on the right side of the chassis, just beneath the control panel, you’ll find a slider for selecting USB, Wi-Fi, or microSD operation and a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button for connecting to a wireless network without entering credentials.
As I said earlier, the microSD slot is located beneath the input slot, and the USB cable plugs into the left end of the chassis.
When working in tight spaces, lifting a tray on the back of the scanner reduces its footprint by redirecting the output flow upward, a feature Brother calls a U-Path Paper Feeding System.
The maximum optical resolution is 600 dpi, with an interpolated 1,200dpi. The minimum document size is 2 by 3.4 inches and the maximum size is 8.5 by 72 inches, with the smallest and largest supported plastic card sizes being 2.05 and 3.4 inches square, respectively. Brother rates the device’s maximum daily duty cycle at 100 scans.
Convenience and Productivity Software
A document scanner is worthless without software, and nowadays most manufacturers ship well-developed, feature-rich scanner interfaces for operating the hardware, optical character recognition (OCR) apps for converting scanned pages to editable text, and PDF creation and editing programs. Some companies, including Brother, also throw in fairly robust document management and archiving solutions.
With the DS-940DW you get Brother’s iPrint&Scan (available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android) for interfacing with the scanner; BR-Receipts for scanning and storing financial data; Kofax Power PDF Standard for creating and editing PDFs; Nuance PaperPort SE 14 for document management; and Presto! BizCard for scanning and archiving business cards.
Between them, these apps should provide everything you need to scan, save, convert, and manage your scans. Many of them, in fact, have overlapping functions; you may find yourself trying to decide which programs will serve your needs best—a quality problem.
How Fast Can You Feed It?
Timing how fast a manual-feed scanner and its software process one-sided pages per minute (ppm) or two-sided images per minute (ipm, where each page side is an image) is hardly an empirical endeavor. Since every sheet is fed to the scanner by hand, much depends on the user and how diligently he or she readies and feeds the next sheet, then the next, and so on.
Brother rates the DS-940DW at 16ppm for both one-sided (simplex) and two-sided (duplex) scans, though a more accurate rating for the latter would be 32 images per minute (ipm). If you stay on top of the manual feed process, that sounds about right. I tested the scanner over a USB connection from our standard Intel Core i5 testbed PC running Windows 10 Pro. The best the DS-940DW, its software, and I could manage when scanning and saving our two 25-page text documents (a simplex document consisting of 25 pages and a duplex sample containing 50 page sides) to image PDF was 13.5ppm and 27ipm. But then, I’m easily distracted.
Keeping in mind that the DS-940DW and competing single-sheet portables aren’t designed to scan long documents like our test files, these scores aren’t bad. The scanner and its software managed almost 30 seconds per page side while scanning, converting, and saving our duplex document. Epson’s DS-80W managed 11.6ppm and 23.3ipm when scanning and processing the same text pages, and its DS-70 sibling did the same work at 8.2ppm and 18.7ipm.
The Xerox Duplex Travel Scanner and IRIScan Anywhere 5 Wi-Fi both yielded around half these speeds on one-sided pages, but the Anywhere 5 doesn’t support automatic two-sided scanning, requiring that duplex pages be scanned twice.
With desktop scanners, saving a scan job to the more useful searchable PDF format required for document management and other applications takes a bit longer than saving to image PDF. My experience with most manual-feed portable scanners is that they don’t scan fast enough to overload the processing software, so there isn’t a significant difference between the time required to save a scan job to image PDF or searchable PDF.
While we don’t record searchable PDF scanning and saving speeds for single-sheet portables, I can say that the DS-940DW’s performance in the searchable PDF file tests I ran was similar to its image PDF throughput.
OCR Accuracy and Business Card Scanning Tests
While the other portable scanners mentioned here converted pages to editable text as well as many larger and much costlier desktop document scanners, the DS-940DW’s OCR accuracy is among the best I’ve seen. It scanned both our Arial and Times New Roman font test pages without errors down to 5-point font sizes. The Epson DS-80W, at 6 points without mistakes on both test pages, performed almost as well, as did the DS-70. The Xerox Travel Scanner was accurate down to 5 points with Arial and 6 points with Times New Roman, and the IRIScan Anywhere 5 WiFi managed 8 points for both tests.
For most applications—business, home, church, the kids’ soccer league, or whatever—the above accuracy scores are more than sufficient. Few documents, even legal documents such as loan and real estate contracts, contain type 8 points or smaller.
I also scanned several business cards into BizCard, with, as I’ve stated in other reviews, predictable results. The DS-940DW handled the cards nimbly enough, and the BizCard software converted the digitized text to editable text and populated its database fields with acceptable accuracy. As with all the business card software I’ve tested, however, accuracy depends mostly on card design. Plain white cards with common fonts required far less after-scan error correction than swankier cards with elaborate design features such as colored backgrounds or text superimposed over logos. The amount of retyping and the viability of scanning business cards depends primarily on the cards you scan.
Easy, Fast, and Standalone Scanning
There are so many single-sheet portable scanners available, and for the most part they’re so similar, that I went into this review with ho-hum expectations. But the DS-940DW has essentially raised the bar in a few key areas, including speed and accuracy. The software bundle is complete, and while not unique, the ability to scan to a microSD card makes carrying the scanner with you and scanning on the road less cumbersome and less complicated. Add it all up, and the Brother DSmobile DS-940DW advances manual-feed portable scanner technology enough to earn an Editors’ Choice.