The short answer
On iPhone, open Notes, tap the Attachment button, then Scan Documents. On Android, open Google Drive and tap Camera at the bottom right. Your phone finds the edges of the page and gives you a PDF. Keep the original anyway: the scan is only a copy, and in France, a copy that replaces a business’s paper invoice needs safeguards these apps’ help pages never mention.
The garage receipt in the glove box, the invoice for the monitor you bought for work, the letter from your insurer on the pile by the door. Papers like these get lost or crumpled, and they’re never there the day you need them. Your phone is all it takes to turn them into clean PDFs. On iPhone, Notes and Files have a Scan Documents feature, and on Android, Google Drive scans from its Camera button.
Then comes the next question: once the invoice is scanned, can you throw the paper away? For a business invoice in France, not with a simple phone scan. For personal papers, the French government’s Service Public site advises keeping the original.
How to scan a document on an iPhone, in Notes or Files
Apple describes two routes on its help page “How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad”. Both lead to the same capture screen. Notes keeps the scan inside a note, and Files saves it to the folder you pick. If your phone is set to French, the button reads “Scanner des documents.”
In the Notes app
- Open Notes and select a note or create a new one.
- Tap the Attachment button, then tap Scan Documents.
- Place your document in view of the camera. Depending on your version of iOS, you can also choose flash or an image filter.
- In Auto mode, your iPhone captures the page on its own as soon as it detects the page boundaries. Otherwise, tap the Shutter button or press one of the Volume buttons.
- If needed, drag the corners to fit the page, then tap Keep Scan.
- Scan the next pages, or tap Done.
The iPhone User Guide spells it out: “The document is saved as a PDF in the note.” In a note that’s already open, you can also tap the More button, then Scan.
In the Files app
In Files, tap the More button, then Scan Documents. The capture works the same way as in Notes. When you’re done, choose a location and tap Save.
How to scan a document on Android, in Google Drive
On Android, Google walks you through it in the Drive help page “Scan documents with Google Drive”.
- Open the Google Drive app.
- At the bottom right, tap Camera (Appareil photo on a phone set to French).
- Point your camera at the document. A blue line outlines it, showing where the picture will be cropped.
- Take the photo. You can choose between Manual and Auto capture.
- Adjust the scan. Crop & Rotate fixes the area, Filter adjusts the colors or makes the image grayscale, Clean erases stains and fingers, and Add scans another page.
- Tap Done, then type a file name or pick a suggested title.
- Choose the format, .pdf or .jpg, and if you like, the folder under Location. Tap Save.
Google presents the feature as a way to save receipts, letters and billing statements to Drive “as searchable PDFs.” For quicker access, the “Drive scan” widget puts a scanning shortcut on your Home screen.
Another option, Files by Google
The Files by Google app has its own Scan button at the bottom right, with the same crop, filter and clean tools. According to its help page, “scanned documents are automatically saved as PDFs,” in a Scanned folder inside Downloads.
| App | Where to start the scan | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Notes (iPhone) | Attachment button, then Scan Documents | A PDF inside the note |
| Files (iPhone) | More button, then Scan Documents | A file saved where you choose |
| Google Drive (Android) | Camera button, bottom right | A .pdf or .jpg in the Drive folder you choose |
| Files by Google (Android) | Scan button, bottom right | A PDF in the Scanned folder in Downloads |
Tips for a legible scan
Both systems find the edges of the page on their own. Your iPhone captures the page when it detects them, and Drive outlines them with a blue line. They do a better job when the sheet stands out clearly from what’s around it.
- Lay the sheet flat on a contrasting background. A white invoice is easier to spot on a dark table than on a light tablecloth. Google gives this advice for PhotoScan, its app for scanning printed photos: “place the photo on a flat surface with a contrasting background,” and avoid carpet.
- Hold your phone flat above the page. Also for PhotoScan, Google says not to tilt your phone while scanning.
- Look for good, even light, with no shadows or glare. Keep your hand and phone from casting a shadow on the sheet. On iPhone, Notes and Files also offer flash. If glossy paper reflects too much, Google suggests moving somewhere with less light.
- Check the frame before you confirm. Nothing should be cut off, not the vendor’s header and not the total at the bottom. Drag the corners on iPhone, or use Crop & Rotate in Drive.
- Read it back on screen. Zoom in on the amount and the invoice number. If they’re blurry, retake the page rather than keep a scan nobody can read.
A word on filters. They make text look sharper, but they change the image. For an invoice, stick with the original colors. A signature, a stamp or a handwritten note in color is part of the document, and French tax rules take that into account.
Scanning paper invoices, one PDF and one name per invoice
A PDF rather than a photo. A regular photo keeps the table, the shadow and the crooked sheet. The scanner crops the page, and a PDF keeps every page of a document together in one file. Notes saves straight to PDF. In Drive, pick .pdf rather than .jpg when you save.
One file per invoice. The pages of one invoice go in the same PDF, by scanning page after page in Notes or with Drive’s Add button. Two different invoices make two files. That way you can find each one on its own and send it to your accountant without the rest of the pile.
A name that says what it is. Drive asks for a name before saving, so don’t keep a title that won’t mean anything to you in six months. Start with the date, written year-month-day, then the vendor and the amount, as in 2026-10-01_. Your files will then sort by date in any folder. With Notes or Files, give the PDF that name as soon as you file it.
Can you throw away a paper invoice after scanning it?
For a business in France, yes, but not with just any scan. According to the tax authority’s official guidance, the BOFiP, article L. 102 B of the tax procedures code (livre des procédures fiscales) lets businesses keep paper invoices, received or issued, on paper or in digital form. They can be scanned at any time, as long as the scan follows the rules set by article A. 102 B-2 of the same code.
What the digital copy has to be
The BOFiP, in French, spells out those rules. The table compares them with what Notes and Drive do, based on their help pages.
| Requirement | What the guidance asks for | A scan made with Notes or Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Faithful copy | Identical to the original in image and content. Colors that carry meaning (signature, stamp, handwritten note) are reproduced exactly. | Check it page by page |
| No editing | No image processing, and only lossless compression | Filters and Drive’s Clean tool change the image |
| Format | PDF or PDF/A-3 | Notes saves a PDF, Drive offers .pdf or .jpg |
| Integrity | A server seal, a digital fingerprint, an electronic signature on a certificate meeting at least the one-star RGS level, or an equivalent secure device | Apple’s and Google’s help pages don’t mention it |
| Date | Every file time-stamped, at least from an internal time source | The help pages don’t mention it |
| Process | A documented procedure and regular internal checks | Up to you to set up |
Black and white is accepted only when the colors carry no meaning, like those of a logo. You can scan the invoices yourself or hire a service provider, but the responsibility stays with you, even if the provider lets you down.
As for the Signature tool in Notes, under Markup, Apple describes it as a saved signature, or one you draw with your finger or an Apple Pencil. The French guidance talks about an electronic signature based on a certificate.
What this means for you
Until your scans meet these requirements, keep the paper invoices. The BOFiP is clear about what happens otherwise. If you show a scanned invoice that doesn’t meet the conditions, you have to produce it on paper. And if you no longer have the paper, the tax authority can’t verify that the invoice is authentic. In that case, the paper original remains the supporting document for deducting VAT.
French businesses keep these invoices for 10 years, issued or received, as our guide to keeping invoices explains (in French). If your financial year follows the calendar year, an invoice from 2026 stays on file until at least the end of 2036. To truly go paperless, you need a setup that provides the safeguards in the table, through a specialized provider for example. Your phone scan then does what it does best, as a working copy to find an invoice, read it or send it.
Don’t confuse a scan with an e-invoice either. For invoices between businesses, the French tax site warns that scanned paper invoices and ordinary PDFs will no longer comply with the rules. Under the reform, an e-invoice goes through an accredited platform, in a structured format.
What about household papers, should you keep the original?
For personal papers, Service Public gives simple advice: “If the original of the document is in paper form, it is advisable to keep it on paper.” Its example is a diploma sent by mail or delivered by hand.
The same page gives two reasons. A scan or photo of a paper original “has copy-only value,” and a copy counts as evidence only if it’s reliable. Above all, as long as the original exists, you can still be asked to show it.
The reverse is also true. A tax notice you received by email or on a website should be kept in electronic form, because once printed, it’s only a copy. How long you keep each paper depends on what it is, and Service Public has a simulator that tells you.
Scanning is still worth it. The lease or the washing machine invoice is in your pocket, ready to send, and the original waits in a binder until someone asks for it. That’s the use we describe on our page for households.
Scanning straight into Clivio
If your papers end up in Clivio, you can scan them from Clivio too. The scanner runs in your phone’s browser, with no app to install, and on a computer, a QR code opens the import on your phone. The edges are detected, you can adjust the crop if needed, and you keep going page after page, up to 20, combined into a single PDF. There are four filters: original, enhanced, gray, and black and white.
The PDF is then read like any other document. Clivio works out what the document is, pulls out what matters and gives it a clear title. A photo you’ve already taken works too, as JPG, PNG, WEBP or HEIC, up to 25 MB per file.
Prefer scanning with Notes or Drive? Forward the PDF by email to your drop address, something like firstname-xxxx@inbox.clivio.app. The attachments are read, then wait for you in “To sort.” Files saved in Google Drive can be imported too, whenever you choose. The Import page covers it all.
That doesn’t make Clivio a scanning or archiving service with legal evidential value. No qualified time stamp is applied, the service isn’t certified to the French NF Z42-013 standard, and you can delete a document at any time. The PDF helps you find, read and share your papers. The original stays in the binder.
Common questions
Which app should I use to scan with my phone?
On iPhone, Notes or Files, two Apple apps that offer Scan Documents. On Android, Google Drive or Files by Google, each with its own scanner, cropping and filters. Notes and Files by Google save PDFs, and Drive lets you pick between PDF and JPG.
Does a scanned invoice have the same value as the original?
Not automatically. Service Public, the French government’s information site, says a scan of a paper original has copy-only value, and a copy counts as evidence only if it’s reliable. For a business, the copy replaces the original only if it meets article A. 102 B-2 of the French tax procedures code.
Can I scan an invoice in black and white?
For a working copy, yes. For a business copy meant to replace the paper, the BOFiP accepts black and white only when the colors carry no meaning, like those of a logo. A signature, a stamp or a handwritten note in color has to stay in color.
How long should I keep a paper invoice in France?
For a business, 10 years, whether you issued the invoice or received it. That’s the period in the Commercial Code, and a law of June 25, 2026 brought the tax period in line with it. For personal papers, it depends on the document, and Service Public has a simulator that tells you.
Does scanning a paper invoice turn it into an e-invoice?
No. Under the French reform, an e-invoice follows a structured format, such as UBL, CII or a mixed format, and goes through an accredited platform. The French tax site says a scanned paper invoice or an ordinary PDF will no longer comply for invoices between businesses. Scanning helps you keep your papers in order, not send your invoices.
Sources consulted on Oct 14, 2026: Apple Support, “How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad”; iPhone User Guide, “Scan text and documents in Notes using the iPhone camera”; Google Drive Help, “Scan documents with Google Drive” (Android); Files by Google Help, “How to scan documents with Files by Google”; Google Photos Help, “Scan your photos” (PhotoScan tips); BOFiP, BOI-CF-COM-10-10-30, keeping records (paper invoices, § 110 to 130), in French; Service Public, “Should the paper or electronic original of a document be retained?”; Entreprendre Service Public, retention periods for businesses; impots.gouv.fr, “Je découvre la facturation électronique” (in French). The BOFiP text cited, published September 3, 2025, still mentions a six-year retention period, which predates the law of June 25, 2026 that raised it to 10 years.
Published Oct 14, 2026 by the Clivio team. Spotted a mistake, or have a better method? contact@clivio.app