# How to scan documents on iPhone Duo, folded or unfolded

> Scan documents to PDF on iPhone Duo with Nimbo: folded or unfolded, the scan continues when you fold, then you review it beside the Library. Free.

Written by the Nimbo team · Published October 28, 2026

Short answer

To scan a document on iPhone Duo, open Nimbo, tap Scan and hold the page in view: the edges are detected, the page is cropped and added to the PDF. Scanning works folded or unfolded, and a scan in progress continues when you fold. Unfolded, the finished PDF opens beside the Library. Scanning to PDF is free and stays on the phone.

## Folded or unfolded?

Folded, Nimbo behaves like on any iPhone, in one column. That is often the easiest way to aim at a sheet on a table with one hand. Unfolded, the inner screen pays off once the pages are captured: the PDF opens beside the Library, and the page thumbnails sit beside the document.

You do not have to choose in advance. Fold or unfold during the scan: it continues with the pages already captured. Closed, you see the last screen; open, the last two.

## Step by step

1. Open Nimbo and tap Scan on the Home screen, or use the Scan widget.
2. Point the camera at the page. Nimbo finds the edges and captures it; tap the shutter yourself if you prefer.
3. Keep going with the next pages: they all land in the same PDF, in order.
4. Check each page. Drag a corner to fix the crop, or change the filter (colour, greyscale, black and white).
5. Tap Save. The PDF appears in your Library.
6. Unfold the phone to review it: the Library on one side, the PDF and its thumbnails on the other.

## Review the scan on the inner screen

This is where iPhone Duo makes a difference. In the Reader, the page thumbnails sit beside the document, so a badly cropped page stands out at a glance. In landscape, two pages show side by side, like an open book: a front and its back read together. The full screen button gives the whole inner screen to the PDF, then brings the pane back. The [reading PDFs on iPhone Duo](https://nimbopdf.com/blog/reading-pdfs-on-iphone-duo/) article covers each layout.

## Getting a clean result

- Put the page on a surface of a different colour, with some light from the side; a white sheet on a white desk is the one case where the camera struggles to find the edges.
- For text, choose the black and white filter: smaller file, sharper letters. Keep colour for photos and stamps.
- Scan double-sided sheets front and back in a row: the pages stay in the right order in the PDF.

## After the scan

Once the PDF is in the Library, everything else applies: make the text searchable with Recognize Text, sign it, compress it before emailing. Unfolded, two AI features make the most of the space: Ask puts the conversation beside the PDF, and Translate shows the original beside the translation. These tools and features are part of Nimbo Pro. Scanning paper is often the step before a signature: the [signing on iPhone Duo](https://nimbopdf.com/blog/sign-a-pdf-on-iphone-duo/) article takes over from there.

## What stays on the phone

The camera, the edge detection, the cropping and the PDF are all handled on the iPhone. The scan is stored in the app's own storage and is never sent to a server. Only the AI features (Create, Transform, Translate, Ask) send the text they need, and only after you allow it. The [scanning guide](https://nimbopdf.com/how-to-scan-a-document-to-pdf-on-iphone/) covers the screen in detail, and the [how it works](https://nimbopdf.com/how-it-works/) page explains what is sent, and when.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is scanning free on iPhone Duo?

Yes. Scanning to PDF is one of Nimbo's free features, on iPhone Duo as on any iPhone: no watermark and no account. Nimbo Pro adds the PDF tools (text recognition, compression, signing, password) and the AI features.

### What happens if I fold the phone during a scan?

The scan continues on the outer screen, with the pages already captured. Nothing is lost: you carry on where you were.

### Can I import photos I already took instead of scanning?

Yes. Unfolded, open Photos or Files beside Nimbo and drag the images or PDFs into the Library. They are imported on the device, like with the Share extension.

## Related tools

[JPG to PDF](https://nimbopdf.com/jpg-to-pdf/)[OCR PDF](https://nimbopdf.com/ocr-pdf/)

## More guides

- [How to scan a document to PDF on iPhone](https://nimbopdf.com/how-to-scan-a-document-to-pdf-on-iphone/)
- [How to convert photos to a PDF on iPhone](https://nimbopdf.com/how-to-convert-photos-to-pdf-on-iphone/)

## More from the blog

- [How to read PDFs on iPhone Duo: fold, unfold, two panes](https://nimbopdf.com/blog/reading-pdfs-on-iphone-duo/)
- [How to sign a PDF on iPhone Duo, folded or unfolded](https://nimbopdf.com/blog/sign-a-pdf-on-iphone-duo/)
- [How to translate a PDF on iPhone Duo, side by side](https://nimbopdf.com/blog/translate-a-pdf-on-iphone-duo/)

Do it now, free

[JPG to PDF](https://nimbopdf.com/jpg-to-pdf/)

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

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Source: https://nimbopdf.com/blog/scan-a-document-on-iphone-duo/ · Nimbo (English) · https://nimbopdf.com/llms.txt