Old printed photos contain precious memories. With your smartphone, you can easily digitize them and preserve them forever. Here's how to scan your photos with free apps.

Best apps for scanning photos

Google PhotoScan (free)

  • Available for iPhone and Android
  • Automatically removes glare and reflections
  • Edge detection and automatic cropping
  • Saves directly to Google Photos

Microsoft Lens (free)

  • Good alternative for both platforms
  • Enhances colors and contrast
  • Integrates with OneDrive

Tips for the best results

Lighting

  • Use soft, even lighting
  • Avoid direct sunlight (causes shadows)
  • A cloudy day near a window works well

Positioning

  • Place photo on a flat, dark surface
  • Hold phone parallel to the photo
  • Keep steady while the app captures

Photo condition

  • Clean fingerprints gently with soft cloth
  • Don't remove photos from sticky albums (damage risk)
  • For damaged photos, consider professional scanning

After scanning

  • Check the quality immediately
  • Organize in folders by year or event
  • Back up to cloud storage
  • Share albums with family members

With some patience, you can digitize your entire photo collection and share those memories with the next generation.