SmartScan review
A capable free Android scanner with local OCR, PDFs, search, and document protection.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
SmartScan is a free Android document-scanning app from Kaliki Labs for people who want to capture, organize, and export documents from an Android phone. It uses automatic document edge detection and cropping, extracts text with on-device OCR, and creates multipage PDFs. Scans, extracted text, and generated PDFs remain stored locally on the device. The app requires no account and supports Android 8.0 and later, making it a focused option for personal document capture rather than a cross-platform scanning system.
Its feature set covers the core scanning workflow in one free plan. Automatic capture is paired with brightness, contrast, rotation, duplication, and page-reordering controls. Users can organize documents with folders and favorites, search the document library, and export files as PDF or JPEG. On-device OCR supports searchable documents without requiring text processing outside the phone. Security features include AES password-protected PDFs and biometric or PIN app lock, giving the app useful protection for locally stored scans.
The main trade-off is platform and product scope. SmartScan is available on Android only, with no iOS app or integrations, so it is not suited to teams that need shared workflows or connections to other services. The Free plan includes ads, and there is no paid tier described for removing them or adding capabilities. Users who want a straightforward Android scanner with OCR, multipage PDF creation, local storage, search, and document protection should find the feature coverage well matched to that need. Those requiring cross-device availability, integrations, or a broader ecosystem should choose another app.
SmartScan pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Automatic capture, cropping, and on-device OCR
- Searchable multipage PDFs with AES password protection
- Folders, favorites, library search, and app lock
- Where it doesn't
- Android-only; there is no iOS app
- Free plan includes advertising
- No integrations or paid tier for expanded capabilities
SmartScan fact sheet, pricing and score →
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