The iPhone’s Notes app has a powerful document scanning feature, and today I learned that this scanner can be controlled directly from a paired Mac in various applications. This is an incredibly useful tip for Mac users, as it cuts the awkward middle steps of having to transfer it from the phone to the computer, or grabs it from the Mac’s Notes app after it’s synced. Shout to the TikTok account @ keyboardshortcuts to bring it to my attention.
In addition to Notes, the iPhone scanner can be accessed from a number of different Mac applications, including Finder, Mail, Messages and Pages 7.2 and later. To use it, right-click (or right-click) in the window in which you want to scan the document, select “Import from iPhone or iPad” and then click “Scan Documents.” The camera app is magically opened on the paired mobile device, where you can scan as usual – no wires required. Once done, the scanned document will end up in the Mac app with little hassle. I find it useful, for example, to scan a bunch of laying documents directly into a new folder in Finder.
According to a support page for the feature, the Mac should use macOS Mojave or newer, and the iPhone or iPad should use iOS 12 and newer. On both devices, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must be turned on and logged in to iCloud with the same Apple ID with two-factor authentication enabled.
In addition to scanning documents, the feature can also be used to take photos. Simply select “Take photo” instead of “Scan documents” in the menu and tap the shutter button on your mobile device to take a picture.
Camera Continuity is not a new feature, but the compatibility with the iPhone’s document scanner was news to me.