How to scan an ID card

How to scan an ID card front and back with Scanfone

1. Open Scanfone and choose the ID card scan mode.
2. Scan the front of the card.
3. Turn the card over and scan the back.
4. Scanfone places front and back on one page.
5. Save the PDF, then share it or keep it in the PIN and Face ID locked folder.

Why front and back on one page matters

Most requests for an ID copy want both sides, and they want it as one page or one file. Two separate photos with a thumb in the corner tend to get sent back. Scanfone's ID card scanner mode is built for exactly this: scan the front, scan the back, and both land on one page of a PDF, the way a photocopy would look.

Scan an ID card step by step

1. Open Scanfone (free, no account) and pick ID card as the scan mode.
2. Place the card on a dark, plain surface. A dark background helps the camera find the edges of a small card.
3. Scan the front. Hold the phone straight above the card and avoid glare from overhead lights.
4. Flip the card and scan the back.
5. Check the result. Front and back appear together on one page. Rotate if needed and pick a filter: Color keeps photos and holograms recognisable, Gray is neutral.
6. Save and share. Send it by Mail or Messages, print it, or save it to Files.

Tips for a clean ID scan

• Kill the glare. Shiny cards reflect lamps. Tilt the card slightly or move away from the light source.
• Use daylight if you can. It gives the most natural colours.
• Fill most of the frame but leave a small margin around the card.
• Keep it sharp. Hold still for a moment; a blurry ID is a rejected ID.
• Choose Color for official copies. Some organisations ask for colour copies of ID.

Hide what they do not need

Sometimes you are asked to prove your name or age, not to hand over every number on the card. If the person asking agrees, you can use redact to hide areas such as a document number before sending. You can also add a watermark like "Copy for flat rental only, November 2026", which makes a copy less useful if it ends up somewhere it should not.

Keep your ID copy locked

An ID copy is exactly the kind of file you do not want sitting in your camera roll. Scanfone has a safe locked folder protected with a PIN and Face ID. Scanning happens on your phone and nothing is uploaded unless you turn on Pro sync. No ads, no tracking, no analytics.

Passports, driving licences and other cards

Use the ID card mode for credit-card-sized documents like national ID cards, driving licences, residence permits and membership cards. For a passport photo page, use the passport scanner mode instead. Need to send your ID together with a signed form? Combine them with merge PDFs.

Sending your ID copy

When you share the PDF, double-check the recipient before you hit send, especially in a busy email thread. If you are submitting through an upload portal, a PDF with front and back on one page is usually exactly what the form expects.

What it costs

The ID card mode is free and unlimited, like scanning, saving and sharing. Free PDFs carry one small "Scanned free with Scanfone" line under the page, never over the card itself. Scanfone Pro removes the line and adds sync and 1 TB cloud backup for $2.99 the first year, then $19.99 a year. See pricing.

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