Is Google scanner free?

Yes, Google PhotoScan is a free application developed by Google. It is designed to help users digitize their old printed photos using their smartphone camera.

What is Google PhotoScan?

Google PhotoScan is a standalone mobile app that allows you to scan physical photos quickly and easily with your smartphone. Unlike simply taking a picture of a photo, PhotoScan uses advanced technology to eliminate glare and shadows, automatically crop the image, and correct perspective distortions, resulting in a high-quality digital copy. This makes it an ideal tool for preserving cherished memories from physical photo albums.

Availability and Key Features

Google PhotoScan is readily available at no cost for a wide range of mobile devices.

• Availability:

  • Android: Compatible with Android smartphones and tablets.
  • iPhone: Available for iOS devices, including iPhones.

• Key Features for Optimal Scanning:

  • Glare-Free Scans: The app guides you to take multiple shots of the same photo from different angles, which are then stitched together to remove glare and hot spots caused by lighting.
  • Automatic Cropping: It intelligently detects the edges of the photo, cropping and straightening the image for a clean scan.
  • Smart Rotation: Scanned photos are automatically rotated to the correct orientation, regardless of how you hold your device.
  • Perspective Correction: It corrects for any distortion, ensuring the digital image looks flat and true to life.
  • Seamless Integration with Google Photos: Scanned images can be easily saved directly to Google Photos, where they are backed up, organized, and searchable.

Why is Google PhotoScan Free?

Google often provides useful applications and services for free as part of its broader ecosystem strategy. By offering PhotoScan for free, Google encourages users to digitize their physical memories, which can then be stored and managed within Google Photos – a service that also offers free storage (up to a certain limit or with compression). This integration enhances the overall value of Google's suite of products and services for its users.

How to Get Started with Google PhotoScan

Getting started with digitizing your old photos is straightforward:

1. Download the App: Search for "PhotoScan by Google Photos" on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
2. Open the App: Launch PhotoScan on your smartphone.
3. Position Your Photo: Place your physical photo on a flat, well-lit surface.
4. Scan: Point your camera at the photo. The app will guide you to move your phone over four white dots that appear on the screen, ensuring a complete, glare-free scan.
5. Save: Once scanned, the app automatically processes the image. You can then save the high-quality digital version to your device or directly upload it to Google Photos.

Summary of Google PhotoScan

Here's a quick overview of Google PhotoScan:

By leveraging Google PhotoScan, anyone can easily transform their printed photo collections into digital archives without any cost, ensuring these precious memories are preserved for years to come.