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Find a saved scan

Where Do Scanned Documents Go on iPhone?

Start with the app you used to scan. Then check its documents, the folder you chose when saving, or the message containing the attachment.

Short answer

Notes keeps a scan inside its note. Files saves the PDF to the location you choose. Preview stores a PDF you can reopen from its document browser. A Mail scan is an attachment in a draft or sent message; a Camera photo is in Photos. For ScanLens, check the document library.

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Find a scan in Notes

Open Notes and search for the note title or a distinctive word from the document. Select All Accounts if available, then check the folders for the account you used.

In the Notes list, open More → View Attachments. Touch and hold the scan thumbnail, then choose Show in Note. Attachments in locked notes are not shown in this view. See Apple’s Notes attachment guide.

To create a separate PDF, open the scan inside the note, use Share, choose Save to Files and select a folder. See Apple’s missing-notes guide.

Find a scan in Files or Preview

Open Files and check Recents. Then use Browse to check iCloud Drive, On My iPhone and any storage provider you used. The scanner lets you choose a location before saving; see Apple’s scanning instructions.

Search for part of the filename if you remember it. Otherwise, sort a likely folder by date and inspect the PDF thumbnails. Default names vary; searching only for “Scanned” can miss the document.

Scans made in Preview

On iOS 26 or later, open Preview and browse its documents for the PDF. Check its name and storage location; you can also browse that location in Files. Apple’s Preview scanning guide explains how a scan becomes a PDF.

Check Mail, Messages, Photos and other apps

Mail or Messages: open the original conversation or check Drafts and Sent in the relevant mail account. An attachment is not automatically a separate copy in Files. Save it to a chosen folder if you need one.

Camera or Safari: look for a photographed page in Photos around the capture date. For a downloaded PDF, check Downloads in Files and the download location selected in Safari settings.

Scanner apps: check the app you used, its document list and any export destination you selected. Storage behavior differs between apps. In ScanLens, start with the document library and its folders.

Name and save a scan you can find again

  1. Rename the document with a subject and date, such as “Rental agreement 2026-10-08”.
  2. Save the PDF to a folder you can name, then reopen it from that folder to verify the copy.
  3. For documents you need on another device, check that the copy is actually available there before removing the original.

Use the document storage on iPhone guide for folders and backup checks.

Recover a deleted scan

Files: open Browse → Recently Deleted. Files deleted from iCloud Drive or On My iPhone can remain there for up to 30 days; removing them from Recently Deleted is permanent. See Apple’s file recovery instructions.

Notes, Photos or ScanLens: check Recently Deleted in the app that held the note or photo, or the Recycle Bin in ScanLens. Follow the recovery options and remaining time shown there. Retention depends on the app and account; a missing item is not proof that a backup exists.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my Notes scan missing from Files?

A scan attached to a note does not automatically create a PDF in Files. Open the scan itself, share it, choose Save to Files and confirm the destination.

How do I find a scan when I do not know its filename?

Browse the app you used, narrow the date range and inspect thumbnails. In Files, sort likely folders by date. Do not rely on one default filename or on full-text search alone.

Why does searching for a word in my scan return nothing?

The app may not have recognized or indexed that text. Try the document name or browse by date. In Notes, search does not read the contents of locked notes; check those notes directly.

Why are my scans missing after switching iPhones?

Check the original app, storage account and sync status. A file saved only under On My iPhone needs a transfer or a backup that contains it. If you still have the old phone, confirm the documents are on the new one before erasing it.

Related ScanLens guides

Store Important Documents

Folder naming and checking a backup.

How to Scan on iPhone

Scan with Notes, Files or a scanner app.

Make a PDF Searchable

Add and test a PDF text layer.

Use Your Phone as a Scanner

Capture readable pages with your phone.
Find documents in ScanLens

Keep named scans in your library

ScanLens is a free app for iPhone. Organize documents in folders and search their names or recognized text. If a word is not found, browse the library and check the scan.

Download on the App Store