Easily digitize old, physical photos: Here's how to scan on iPhone and Androids

Cody Godwin, USA TODAY
·2 min read

There’s something about a physical photograph. It’s a moment frozen in time, sometimes dating back generations. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll find a description of when and where it was snapped scribbled on the back.

Most of the pictures we take now live on our smartphones and never transform into physical form. This makes finding and sharing photos a breeze. Plus, our smartphones take up significantly less space than multiple photo albums collecting dust on a bookshelf.

Once upon a time, using a scanner would have been the only option to create digital copies, but advances in technology have made it easier than ever to digitize your precious memories and access them anywhere, anytime.

Watch this video to see how apps can help digitize old photos.

Digitizing photos

We found two free, easy-to-use apps to make the transition from physical photos to digital a snap. Consider storing the newly digitized images in the cloud or on an external hard drive so they aren’t taking up space on your device.

Both apps require you to take pictures of the pictures, which can be time-consuming. But thanks to cropping, you don't have to try to get the corners just right until after you've captured the image. Both apps help you easily crop images with the help of a zoomed-in bubble that makes properly aligning the edges a breeze.

  • PhotoScan by Google Photos

PhotoScan by Google Photos will automatically rotate and crop your photos. This can be a huge help and time-saver if you have a lot of photos to digitize.

The app also has a way to capture the picture while preventing the glare that often happens when taking a picture of a photograph on a smartphone.

  • Microsoft Lens

The Microsoft Lens app scans more than just photos, it also works for whiteboards, business cards and other forms of written text.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to scan on iPhone, Android: Digitize photos in a few easy steps