Scan to PDF

About Scan to PDF

Scan to PDF turns your phone or laptop camera into a document scanner inside the browser. Capture each page, put them in order, and save one PDF. The captures stay on your device; no app is installed and no image is uploaded.

• Scan ID proof
• Scan a signed form
• Scan receipts
• Scan notes

How to scan to PDF

1. 1

   Allow the camera

   The browser asks once. The camera feed is used only on this page and is not recorded.

2. 2

   Capture each page

   Hold the document flat in good light and take a picture per page. Retake any that are blurred.

3. 3

   Arrange and export

   Rotate or reorder captures in the grid, then save a PDF. Run OCR PDF next to make its text searchable.

Why your file never leaves your device

Most online tools upload your file to a server, work on it there, and keep a copy for a while. Thryve PDF does the work inside your browser instead, with code that runs on your own device, so there is no upload, no copy on a server and nothing to delete afterwards. Close the tab and the file is gone from memory. It also means the tools keep working on a slow connection once the page has loaded.

Questions, answered

Which camera does it use on a phone?

On Android and iPhone the page uses the rear camera. On a laptop it uses the webcam.

Can I add already-taken photos too?

Yes. Drop JPG, PNG or WebP photos alongside the captures and they become pages of the same PDF.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. The PDF is opened and processed inside your browser tab, on your own device, and the result is saved straight back to it. Thryve has no server that receives files.

Is it free?

Yes. This page gives 10 free exports every rolling 30 days, with no account. Thryve Pro, $9.99 once with no subscription, removes the limit on every Thryve PDF, Photo, Media and Invoice page.

Do I need to sign up?

No. Drop a file and start. An account is only needed to buy Thryve Pro, so the licence can follow you between devices.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes, in Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox on Android and iPhone, as well as on Windows, Mac and Linux. Since the work happens on the device, a large file takes longer on a phone than on a laptop.

Guides that use Scan to PDF

• PDF for formsHow to combine certificates, mark sheets and photos into one PDF for an application5 min read

More Thryve PDF tools

• Organize PDFMerge files, split one apart, rotate and drag pages into the order you want.
• Merge PDFCombine several PDFs and images into one file.
• Split PDFBreak one PDF into smaller files of a set number of pages.
• Remove pagesDelete the pages you do not need and save the rest.
• Extract pagesPick pages and save them as a new PDF.
• Compress PDFMake a file smaller for email and forms.