Why Backup Scans to Cloud Storage
Cloud sync is not one keyword. Some people want scans in iCloud because they live on Apple devices. Others need Google Drive for Workspace, Dropbox for client folders, or OneDrive for Microsoft 365. Those are different intents, which is why this page is the overview page rather than the setup guide for one provider.
Use this hub to compare the supported cloud destinations, then jump into the provider-specific page that matches your existing workflow. That keeps your scans findable, shareable, and backed up without forcing a new storage habit.
Cloud upload also changes what comes next. Teams often protect sensitive PDFs before upload, compress scans to save storage, or send searchable files into broader OCR workflows with searchable PDFs on iPhone.
How scans actually reach each cloud — the honest version
It is worth being precise about the mechanism, because "scan to cloud" can imply a single magic button when the reality is two distinct paths.
iCloud Drive is native. Because iCloud is built into iOS, saving a scan there is direct: choose an iCloud Drive folder and the file lands in the Files app and syncs across your Apple devices through Apple's own system. No third-party app sits in between.
Everything else goes through the iOS share sheet. For Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Evernote, and Notion, you tap Share in ScanLens, choose the destination, and that provider's own app or extension uploads the file to its service using your account. This is the standard, Apple-sanctioned way apps hand files to each other on iOS. It is reliable and it keeps your cloud credentials inside the provider's app where they belong — but it does mean the destination app needs to be installed and signed in. If Dropbox is not on the phone, Dropbox will not appear as a share target.
The practical upshot: the scan does not pass through any ScanLens server on its way to the cloud. It goes from the ScanLens library, through the share sheet, into your chosen app, and up to your own account. That is the same route a photo takes when you share it from the Photos app, which is exactly why it behaves predictably.
On-device until you share — and encryptable before you do
Two principles sit underneath every workflow on this page, and they are worth stating plainly because cloud and privacy are not natural allies.
A scan stays on the iPhone until you choose to move it. Capture and OCR run on-device. Nothing uploads automatically to a third-party cloud the instant you scan — the cloud step is a deliberate action you take through the share sheet or, for iCloud, by saving to a synced folder. Up to that moment the document lives only in the ScanLens library on your phone.
You can lock the file before it leaves. For anything sensitive — IDs, contracts, tax forms, medical records — export it as a password-protected, AES-256-encrypted PDF first, then send that file to the cloud. This stacks on top of the provider's own encryption: the cloud service encrypts files at rest, and your password makes the document itself unreadable to anyone who reaches the storage account without the key. Encrypt-before-upload turns "my documents are in the cloud" into "my documents are in the cloud and useless to anyone but me."
Auto-Upload: Set It and Forget It
Manual uploads are tedious and easy to forget. ScanLens Auto-Upload eliminates the hassle—connect your cloud service once, then every scan automatically uploads in the background.
Background Sync
Uploads happen silently while you continue scanning. No waiting, no progress bars blocking your workflow. Documents reach the cloud within moments of capture.
Offline Queue
No internet? No problem. Scans queue locally and upload automatically when connectivity returns. Scan on a plane, documents upload when you land.
Choose the Cloud You Already Use
Some teams live in Google Drive, some in Dropbox, and some in Microsoft 365. Pick the destination that already fits your filing workflow instead of creating a new silo just for scans.
Organized Folder Structure
Documents upload to a dedicated ScanLens folder in your cloud storage. Maintains the same folder organization you create in the app. Everything stays structured and findable.
