Understanding SimpleumSafe

iOS: Scan documents securely

The SimpleumSafe document scanner lets you capture single-page or multi-page paper documents directly on your iPhone or iPad, edit them before saving, and import them into the open Safe as PDF or JPEG files. When creating a PDF, optical character recognition (OCR) adds the recognized text. This lets you find scanned content later through full-text search.

The new document scanner is enabled by default in SimpleumSafe 3.9 and later.

Quick guide

  1. Open the Safe and the folder where you want to save the document.
  2. Tap + and choose Scan document.
  3. Capture one or more pages automatically or manually.
  4. Review and edit the captured pages.
  5. Set the file name, choose PDF or JPEG, and select the quality level.
  6. Tap Import to save the scan in the open Safe.

After a confirmed import, SimpleumSafe remembers the last reusable settings for the next scanning session.

1. Open the document scanner

First open the Safe you want to use and the destination folder within it. Then tap + and choose Scan document.

The finished scan is saved in the folder where you started the scanner.

2. Capture a page automatically or manually

Hold your iPhone or iPad as parallel to the document as possible and provide even lighting. A colored outline highlights the detected page. In automatic mode, the scanner captures the page once it is detected steadily enough.

You can capture a page manually at any time:

  • using the large capture button on the screen,
  • or using a volume button on the device.

The capture screen also provides controls for flash, color mode, and automatic or manual capture. Pinch with two fingers to zoom; tap the camera view to set the focus point.

SimpleumSafe document scanner capture screen with a detected document outline and controls for flash, filters, and the shutter
The scanner detects the document outline. You can capture a page automatically or manually.

Automatic or manual?

  • Automatic is suitable for most documents. The scanner waits for stable detection before capturing the page.
  • Manual gives you full control over when the page is captured.

The capture button remains available in automatic mode.

3. Add more pages

After capturing a page, the scanner returns to the camera. Position the next page and capture it in the same way.

The thumbnail at the bottom shows the most recently captured and processed page. A counter shows how many pages belong to the current scanning session. Tap the thumbnail to review or edit the pages.

4. Review and edit pages

In page review, you can move through all captured pages. The following actions are available for the page currently displayed:

  • Retake: replaces the page with a new capture at the same position.
  • Adjust: moves the four corners of the detected document and applies perspective correction again.
  • Filters: applies Color, Grayscale, Black & White, or Photo to the current page. For multi-page documents, you can apply the selection to all pages.
  • Rotate: rotates the page in 90-degree steps.
  • Delete: removes the page from the scanning session after confirmation.
  • Reorder: changes the order of pages by moving them.

The order shown in page review is used for the PDF pages or numbered JPEG files.

Page review for a three-page scan with controls to adjust, filter, rotate, and delete the current page
In page review, you can edit individual pages and change their order when needed.

Adjust the crop

Choose Adjust and drag the four corner points to the actual corners of the document. Confirm the change. Perspective correction is applied again and the preview is updated.

Reorder pages

For a multi-page scan, tap the up-and-down arrow icon (Reorder) at the top. Press and hold a page’s drag handle, then move the page to the position you want. You can also delete pages in this list.

5. Choose a color mode

The scanner offers four color modes:

  • Color: optimizes color documents for a clear appearance.
  • Grayscale: removes color information while preserving differences in brightness.
  • Black & White: creates a high-contrast image with a white paper background.
  • Photo: preserves the photographic appearance and avoids the typical document contrast optimization.

For multi-page documents, you can apply a color mode to the current page only or to all pages.

6. Save the scan

Once all pages are complete, tap the checkmark (Finish Scan) in the top right. On the Save Scan screen, you can set:

  • File name
  • Output format: PDF or JPEG
  • Quality: Compact, Balanced, or High

SimpleumSafe also shows the number of pages and an estimate of the total file size.

Save Scan screen with PDF selected as the output format, Balanced quality, three pages, and an estimated file size
Before importing, choose the file name, output format, and quality.

Tap Import to save the result in the open Safe.

PDF or JPEG?

  • PDF combines all pages into a single multi-page file. Optical character recognition (OCR) adds the recognized text to the PDF so that you can find scanned content through full-text search.
  • JPEG creates a separate file for each page. For a scan named Contract, the files are named Contract-01.jpg, Contract-02.jpg, and so on.

Which quality level should I choose?

  • Compact: smaller files for clearly readable everyday documents.
  • Balanced: the recommended default for most documents.
  • High: more image detail for small text or demanding originals.

The final size also depends on the number of pages, the subject, the color mode, and the output format.

Which settings does SimpleumSafe remember?

After a successfully confirmed import, SimpleumSafe saves the following settings on the current device:

  • output format,
  • color mode,
  • quality profile,
  • automatic or manual capture mode,
  • and whether a color mode should be applied to all pages.

These settings are available again the next time you start the scanner.

Flash, zoom, document corners, captured pages, and an unconfirmed file name are not saved permanently. They belong only to the current scanning session.

Privacy and security

  • Scan images are processed locally on the device during capture, editing, and export.
  • The scanner does not send images to a cloud service for processing.
  • Captures are not automatically saved to the Photos library.
  • Finished files appear in the Safe only after the entire import has completed successfully.
  • If you cancel or an error occurs, SimpleumSafe cleans up temporary scan files that are no longer needed.

The finished files are protected by SimpleumSafe just like other content in the open Safe.

Frequently asked questions

Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF?

Yes. Capture all pages one after another and choose PDF when saving. The order from page review is preserved.

Can I edit each page differently?

Yes. You can change the crop, rotation, and color mode for an individual page. If needed, you can also apply the color mode to all pages.

Why doesn't the scanner capture automatically?

Make sure there is enough light, good contrast between the document and its background, and a steady camera position. You can capture manually at any time using the capture button or a volume button.

Does the scanner create searchable PDFs?

Yes. When you choose PDF as the output format, SimpleumSafe performs optical character recognition (OCR) and adds the recognized text to the PDF. This lets you use full-text search to find words in the scanned document.

Can I continue editing a saved PDF in the scanner?

No. The scanner only edits pages in the current scanning session.

Are my scanner settings synchronized between iPhone and iPad?

No. Settings are saved locally on each device.

Use the previous Apple document scanner

The new document scanner is enabled by default in SimpleumSafe 3.9 and later. If you prefer the previous Apple document scanner, end any scanning session that is currently running and disable New Document Scanner under Settings > Labs. The selection takes effect in the next scanning session; files you have already saved are not changed.