Scan papers with your phone, then open them on your Chromebook
No scanner needed. Use the Google Drive app to turn paper into a PDF, then find it on your Chromebook to print or email.
What you need
- Your phone
- The papers you want to scan
- Your Chromebook, turned on and connected to the internet
Part 1 Get your phone ready (only once)
You only do this part the first time. Next time, skip to Part 2.
Get the Google Drive app
Open the App Store (the blue icon with a white "A"). Tap Search at the bottom and type google drive.
Tap Get next to Google Drive. If it says Open instead, you already have it.
Find the Google Drive app
Most Android phones already have it. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and look for Drive.
If it isn't there, open the Play Store, search for google drive and tap Install.
Open Drive and sign in
Open the Drive app. If it asks you to sign in, use the same Google account you use on your Chromebook.
That is what lets your Chromebook see the scans later.
Tip: Not sure which account your Chromebook uses? On the Chromebook, click the clock at the bottom-right corner. Your account picture and email are shown there.
Make sure it's the right account
Tap the round picture at the top right of the Drive app.
Check the email address
The email shown should be the same one your Chromebook uses. If it is, tap the X to close this box.
Tip: If it's a different email, tap it to switch to the right account, or to add it.
Make a folder for your scans
Tap the + button at the bottom right (on Android it says New), then tap Folder.
Tip: This folder is optional, but it makes your scans easy to find later.
Name the folder "Scans"
Type Scans, then tap Create.
Part 2 Scan your papers
Put the paper on a table where there is good light. A darker table works best, because the phone can see the edges of the page.
Tap the + button
Open the Drive app and tap the + button at the bottom right.
Tap Scan
Tap the camera button
Open the Drive app. Tap the small camera button at the bottom right, just above New.
Don't see it? Tap New, then tap Scan.
Hold the phone over the page
Hold the phone flat, right above the paper, so the whole page fits on the screen.
A blue outline appears around the page, and the phone takes the picture by itself. If it doesn't, tap the big white round button.
Tip: The very first time, the phone asks if Drive may use the camera. Tap OK or Allow.
Check the picture
Now you see the page you just scanned.
If an edge is cut off, tap Crop & rotate to fix it. If it's blurry, tap Retake.
More pages? Tap Add
Tap Add, put the next page down, and scan it the same way. Do this for every page.
Tip: Only one page? Skip this step.
You should see: The page count goes up, for example 2 pages, then 3 pages.
When every page is scanned, tap Done
Give it a name
Tap the File name box and type a name you will remember, like Electric bill.
Leave PDF chosen. A PDF keeps all the pages together in one file.
Tap Location
This chooses which folder the scan goes into.
Pick the Scans folder
Tap Scans, then tap the blue button at the bottom to choose it.
Tap Save
You should see: Drive says it is uploading. A few seconds later your scan is in the Scans folder, and your Chromebook can see it too.
Part 3 Open the scan on your Chromebook
Your scan is saved in Google Drive, so it shows up on your Chromebook by itself. There is nothing to plug in or copy.
Open the Files app
Click the round button in the bottom-left corner of the screen, then click Files.
Tip: You can also press the Search or Launcher key on the keyboard (left side, where Caps Lock usually is) and type files.
Click My Drive
On the left side, under Google Drive, click My Drive.
Open the Scans folder
Double-click Scans. (Double-click means click twice, quickly.)
Open your scan
Double-click your scan to open it. Scroll down to see all the pages.
Tip: Don't see it? Wait a minute and look again. Check that your phone is on Wi-Fi.
To print it
With the scan open, press the Ctrl and P keys at the same time (or click the printer button at the top right). Choose your printer, then click Print.
Part 4 Email the scan from your Chromebook
Open Gmail and start a new email
Open Gmail. It's in the same app list as Files, or go to gmail.com in Chrome. Then click Compose at the top left.
Click the Google Drive button
At the bottom of the new email there is a row of small buttons. Click the Google Drive one. It is shaped like a triangle.
Tip: Not sure which one it is? Rest the pointer on each button for a second and its name appears.
Pick your scan
Click your scan so it gets a blue check mark. At the bottom, click Attachment, then click Insert.
Tip: Not under Recent? Click My Drive at the top, then open Scans.
Say who it's for, then send
Type the email address in To, add a subject, then click Send.
You should see: The scan shows at the bottom of the email as an attachment before you send it.
If something goes wrong
I can't find my scan on the Chromebook
Most often the phone and the Chromebook are signed in to different Google accounts. Go back to Part 1 and check the email address in the Drive app.
Also make sure the phone is on Wi-Fi and wait a minute. In the Files app you can type the name of the scan in the search box at the top.
The scan is dark or blurry
Turn on a light, hold the phone still, and keep your fingers off the page. On the review screen, tap Retake to try that page again.
The pages are in the wrong order
Pages are saved in the order you scan them. The easiest fix is to scan them again, starting with page 1.
The phone won't take the picture by itself
Make sure the whole page is on the screen and there is a little table showing around it. Or just tap the big white round button.
It says I'm out of storage
Google gives you free space, and scans are small, so this is rare. Ask the person who sent you this guide to help you clear some space.
I'd rather use my Canon printer's scanner
If it's a Canon Pixma, see Scan with your Canon Pixma on your Chromebook. It saves to the same Scans folder.
The pictures are simple drawings. Your screen may look a little different, but the buttons are in the same places. Last checked October 8, 2026.