Current:Home > StocksEasily digitize old, physical photos: Here's how to scan on iPhone and Androids-LoTradeCoin
Easily digitize old, physical photos: Here's how to scan on iPhone and Androids
View Date:2024-12-24 00:45:00
There’s something about a physical photograph. It’s a moment frozen in time, sometimes dating back generations. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll find a description of when and where it was snapped scribbled on the back.
Most of the pictures we take now live on our smartphones and never transform into physical form. This makes finding and sharing photos a breeze. Plus, our smartphones take up significantly less space than multiple photo albums collecting dust on a bookshelf.
Once upon a time, using a scanner would have been the only option to create digital copies, but advances in technology have made it easier than ever to digitize your precious memories and access them anywhere, anytime.
Watch this video to see how apps can help digitize old photos.
Digitizing photos
We found two free, easy-to-use apps to make the transition from physical photos to digital a snap. Consider storing the newly digitized images in the cloud or on an external hard drive so they aren’t taking up space on your device.
Both apps require you to take pictures of the pictures, which can be time-consuming. But thanks to cropping, you don't have to try to get the corners just right until after you've captured the image. Both apps help you easily crop images with the help of a zoomed-in bubble that makes properly aligning the edges a breeze.
- PhotoScan by Google Photos
PhotoScan by Google Photos will automatically rotate and crop your photos. This can be a huge help and time-saver if you have a lot of photos to digitize.
The app also has a way to capture the picture while preventing the glare that often happens when taking a picture of a photograph on a smartphone.
- Microsoft Lens
The Microsoft Lens app scans more than just photos, it also works for whiteboards, business cards and other forms of written text.
Reviewed-approved tech recommendations
Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
Reviewed helps you find the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of tech experts test everything from video games and laptops to speakers and TVs so you can shop for the best of the best.
- The best game console: Nintendo Switch OLED
- Top Nintendo Switch charger: Anker PowerCore Essential 20000
- Our favorite wireless keyboard: Logitech Master Series MX Keys
- Best Xbox gaming controller: Microsoft Bluetooth Elite Series 2 Controller
- Editors’ Choice laptop: Apple 2023 MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro
- Most powerful VR headset: Meta Quest 2
- The best OLED TV: Sony 4K Ultra HD TV A95K Series
- Top streaming device: Roku Ultra 2022
- Best gaming headset: SteelSeries Arctis Pro High Fidelity Gaming Headset
- Top-rated gaming monitor:Acer Predator XB253Q Monitor
veryGood! (41537)
Related
- Justine Bateman feels like she can breathe again in 'new era' after Trump win
- Mosques in NYC struggle to house and feed an influx of Muslim migrants this Ramadan
- Tori Spelling tells Dean McDermott she filed for divorce during podcast: 'Hate to do this to you'
- Beyoncé stuns in all black Western wear at iHeartRadio Music Awards: See the photos
- Olivia Munn Says She “Barely Knew” John Mulaney When She Got Pregnant With Their Son
- Purdue's return to Final Four brings tears of joy from those closest to program.
- Valerie Bertinelli talks dating, new cookbook and 'wistful' thinking about Eddie Van Halen
- IRS claws back money given to businesses under fraud-ridden COVID-era tax credit program
- Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
- 2024 White House Easter Egg Roll: Watch activities from White House's South Lawn
Ranking
- Kyle Richards Swears This Holiday Candle Is the Best Scent Ever and She Uses It All Year
- Transfer portal talent Riley Kugel announces he’s committed to Kansas basketball
- Beyoncé stuns in all black Western wear at iHeartRadio Music Awards: See the photos
- Search is on for 2 Oklahoma moms missing under 'suspicious' circumstances
- AI could help scale humanitarian responses. But it could also have big downsides
- Ringleader of Romanian ATM 'skimming' operation gets 6 years for scamming low-income victims
- The man charged in an Illinois attack that left 4 dead is due back in court
- Israel accused of killing dozens of Syria troops and Hezbollah fighters with major airstrikes near Aleppo
Recommendation
-
2025 Medicare Part B premium increase outpaces both Social Security COLA and inflation
-
Atlantic City mayor says search warrants involve ‘private family issue,’ not corruption
-
Who survived and who was eliminated in the 'biggest cut' in 'American Idol' history?
-
The Smashing Pumpkins announce additional shows for The World Is A Vampire concert tour
-
Satire publication The Onion acquires Alex Jones' Infowars at auction
-
Archaeological site discovered within the boundaries of Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico
-
AT&T marketing chief on March Madness and Caitlin Clark’s supernova run
-
United asks pilots to take unpaid leave amid Boeing aircraft shipment delays