Chris Hoffman
How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phoneChris Hoffman
Editor-in-Chief

Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read nearly one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek. Read more.

How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phone

Microsoft and Google may have put the kibosh on Intel’s planned “Dual OS” PCs—devices with both Windows and Android on them—but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your dream of Android and Windows on the same machine. You can run Android apps and even the Android operating system on your current PC.

This allows you to use Android’s ecosystem of touch-based apps on touch-enabled Windows laptops and tablets, so it does make some sense. Of course, the process is clunker than just using Windows apps, but if there are Android-specific apps or games you want to run on your PC, here are four ways to do it.

BlueStacks

How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phone

BlueStacks isthe easiest way to run Android apps on Windows. It doesn’t replace your entire operating system. Instead, it runs Android apps within a window on your Windows desktop. This allows you to use Android apps just like any other program. BlueStacks also includes support for easy installation of apps from Google Play, so the process is as seamless as possible. Even better, BlueStacks runs Android apps and games with surprisingly good performance.

This solution can’t replace Windows with Android, but that’s not a bad thing—competing solutions that allow you to dual boot Android with Windows are currently unstable. This is only a solution for running Android apps on Windows. Unlike many of the other options here, this is a fairly stable and polished experience.

Similar applications, including YouWave and Windroy, lack the speed and easy app installation BlueStacks offers.

Google’s Official Android Emulator

How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phone

Google provides an official Android emulator as part of the Android SDK. You can use it to run the Android operating system in a window on your existing computer. This gives you complete access to the entire Android operating system. It’s intended for developers to test their Android apps.

Unfortunately, the official Android emulator is rather slow and isn’t a good option for everyday use. It’s useful if you want to test apps or play with the latest version of Android, but you wouldn’t want to actually use apps or play games in it.

To get started with the Android Emulator, download Google’s Android SDK, open the SDK Manager program, and select Tools > Manage AVDs. Click the New button and create a an Android Virtual Device (AVD) with your desired configuration, then select it and click the Start button to launch it. You can read more about the process in our guide.

Android-x86

How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phone

Android-x86 is a community project to port Android to the x86 platform so it can run natively on Intel and AMD processors. That way, you to install Android on a laptop or tablet just as you’d install Windows or Linux. This project was originally noteworthy for providing a way to run Android on low-power netbooks, giving those old netbooks some additional life.

You can check out our guide to installing Android on your computer for more details, or you can install Android-x86 inside a virtual machine to avoid having to reboot your computer.

Bear in mind that this project isn’t stable. You should exercise extreme caution when installing it on physical hardware.

Android on Intel Architecture

How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phone

Intel develops their own distribution of Android for new Intel-based PCs with UEFI firmware. It’s named Android on Intel Architecture, or Android -IA. Intel even provides an installer, which you can use to install Android on your Windows device. The installer will ask if you want to preserve Windows in a dual-boot scenario, so this is a way to dual boot Android and Windows on a new laptop or tablet.

Bear in mind that this project isn’t stable and won’t work on every device yet. At the moment, the Samsung XE700T, Acer Iconia W700, and Lenovo X220T and X230T devices appear to be officially supported targets. This project is really interesting because it’s being driven by Intel itself. This is likely the same software you’ll find on those new “Dual OS” Intel PCs.

This option isn’t for casual users, but it may become more stable over time. For more information, consult Intel’s Downloads, Quick Start, and Devices pages.

If you really want to run Android apps on your Windows computer, you should install BlueStacks. It’s the easiest, slickest, most stable option.

In the long term, the Android on Intel Architecture and Android-x86 projects may make Android easier to install and use on a wider variety of hardware. They could provide an easy way to dual boot Android and Windows—or even replace Windows with Android. For now, these projects aren’t recommended unless you have supported hardware, and you should be careful even if you do.

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How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phone Chris Hoffman
Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read nearly one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek.
Read Full Bio »

Important: If you delete a backup, you can’t get it back.

  1. Go to drive.google.com.
  2. On the bottom left under “Storage,” click the number.
  3. On the top right, click Backups.
  4. Choose an option:
    • View details about a backup: Right-click the backup Preview .
    • Delete a backup: Right-click the backup Delete Backup

Back up WhatsApp data

You can set up WhatsApp to back up your data to Google Drive. Learn how to back up and restore your messages on the WhatsApp help center.

  • Your backups will not use your Google Drive storage for your personal Google Account.
  • You can use your backup to restore your messages and attachments to WhatsApp.
  • You can stop and delete backups, but you won’t be able to look at the files inside the backup.

What happens when your Android backup expires

Your backup will remain as long as you actively use your device. If you don’t use your device for 2 weeks, you may see an expiration date below your backup. This will tell you how much longer your backup will exist without further action from you.

After 57 days, your backup will expire. When that happens, it is automatically removed from Drive and deleted. Be sure to keep track of your updates so you don’t lose important information.

What happens when your WhatsApp backup expires

WhatsApp backups that haven’t been updated in more than one year are automatically removed from Google Drive. For more information, visit the WhatsApp help center.

Your Google Account starts with 15 GB of free storage to use across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. You can buy more storage within Google Drive, or upgrade to Google One, to get extra benefits.

Storage subscriptions

  • At any time, you can change your storage plan to either a monthly or annual fee.
  • A Google One subscription doesn’t expire — it’ll renew automatically unless you change your settings.
  • When you switch to a different payment schedule, it can take up to 24 hours for these changes to take effect.
  • You may be charged local taxes or fees in addition to the prices listed. Google doesn’t charge extra fees.
  • Buying Google storage is only available in some countries. Find countries where you can buy storage.

You can get extra storage for your Google products.

If you already pay for a Drive plan, you’ll be automatically upgraded to Google One for free. Learn more about how your existing storage works with Google One.

If you don’t have a Drive plan, you can become a Google One member to get more storage, help from experts, and extra member benefits.

Upgrade your Google storage

Tip: Before upgrading your storage, make sure your payment method is up to date. Learn how to update your payment details.

After you upgrade, your Google One membership replaces your current Drive storage plan. Google One members get even more storage space, plus exclusive benefits and family plan sharing. If you want more storage space as a Google One member, follow the steps below.

Buy storage via the Google One app

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, make sure you’re signed into your Google account.
  2. From the Play Store, download the Google One app.
  3. In the Google One app, at the bottom, tap Upgrade.
  4. Choose your new storage limit.
  5. Review the new plan pricing and payment date, then tap Continue.
  6. To confirm your Google One plan, select your payment method and tap Subscribe.

You can also use Google One on your computer if you visit one.google.com.

Buy storage via the Google Drive app

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app .
    • If you don’t have it, download the Google Drive app.
  2. On the top left, tap Menu Settings.
  3. Tap Upgrade Storage.
  4. Scroll down and choose a different storage plan.
    • To see other plans, tap More options.
  5. Choose your payment type and tap Subscribe.

Learn more

Update your Google One membership through Pixel Pass

Important: To participate in the Pixel Pass bundle, you must choose a 200GB or higher Google One plan. If you want less storage than 200 GB, you must cancel your Pixel Pass membership and sign up for Google One individually. Learn how to Cancel your Pixel Pass plan.

Change your plan

  1. On your computer, go to one.google.com.
  2. Sign in to your Google Account.
  3. On the left, click SettingsChange membership plan
  4. Select an upgrade plan.

If you purchased your Pixel Pass subscription through the Google Store, you can also update your Google One plan on the Google Store.

Improve collaboration and stay connected with Google Workspace Essentials

If your company wants better collaboration and more storage for work projects, you can sign up for a Google Workspace Essentials account. To sign up, use your business email address.

A Google Workspace Essentials account provides:

  • Secure, reliable video conferencing
  • Shared drive space where teams can store all of their content
  • Collaboration apps like Docs, Sheets, Slides
  • Security, privacy, and compliance tools
  • No domain verification or IT involvement required

Check if your Google Drive storage is updated

After you purchase storage on Google Drive:

  • It can take up to 24 hours for the storage to be available. You can check your storage at
  • If your storage is incorrect, sign in to your Google Account to see if your payment went through.

Switch to a plan with less storage

If you don’t use all the space you have right now, or you want to pay less for Google storage, downgrade or cancel your storage plan.

If you’re an Android user, Google has a scary amount of information on you, and matters get worse if you’re deeply embedded in the company’s app ecosystem — getting locked out of your Google account can have serious consequences then. Thankfully, Android is open source, so it’s possible to evade Google without having to leave the platform altogether — just look at Amazon’s tablets or Huawei’s Google-less phones. But if you’d rather be completely independent from big corporations, going for a free and open-source custom ROM built on top of Android’s core might be the best solution.I personally accept that there’s always going to be some inherent privacy trade-off when you’re using an always-connected mobile device that you carry with you everywhere you go, but I’m curious if there’s a way to remove the ad company from the equation. It’s probably still not feasible to use nothing but open-source apps, but you might be delighted to learn that it’s possible to reduce your dependency on a single data aggregator like Google.

To go fully Google-less on your phone, you’ll need to install a so-called custom ROM, a custom operating system based on the open-source version Google provides. Depending on your device, this is a more or less involved process, and it might not even be possible. You will lose all data stored on your phone in the process, so be sure you have backups. If you make a mistake, you might end up with a permanently bricked, unusable paperweight, so please double- and triple-check what you’re doing, read all instructions before you start, and make sure you understand.

While you might not like Google as a company, it still has to adhere to privacy regulations. That’s not true for open-source ROMs potentially created by bad actors going after your data. LineageOS and microG are sufficiently peer-controlled, but there’s no guarantee. Be aware that you could always fall for someone shady when you’re tinkering with your device, and that the risk is greater the more obscure the ROM you choose is.

The problem with going completely Google-less on Android is that Google offers a few closed-source APIs that other apps rely on to function properly. These APIs are part of the Google Play Services, which provides functionality like notifications, location tracking, cloud syncing of game scores, casting content to your TV or smart display, and so on. If you don’t want your experience to be severely limited, you’ll need a replacement for the Play Services. That’s where microG comes in. It’s a free and open-source implementation of these libraries and can replace almost all of them, allowing you to use your phone without having to send any data to Google servers.

Find a suitable ROM

With a little work, any custom ROM can run on microG, but there are easier and more difficult ways depending on your preferences and LineageOS support for your device.

microG’s LineageOS builds

The simplest solution is using the ROM provided by the microG developers: They offer a custom version of LineageOS that comes with microG out of the box. However, only devices officially supported by LineageOS are on this list, so if you’re using a phone like any recent Pixel, you’ll need to go another route.

Head to microG’s download site and see if your phone is among those supported (search Google for “[your phone] code name” to make sense of the items on the site). For installation instructions, go to LineageOS’ wiki and search for your handset.

Using this path, you won’t need to install microG separately; it comes with the ROM. You’ll also find F-Droid pre-installed, the marketplace for all kinds of free and open source (FOSS) Android apps. Other than that, LineageOS is left untouched and includes all the thoughtful Android enhancements the ROM is known and loved for.

The e Foundation provides another straightforward route to a Google-free experience with its /e/ OS. It’s a LineageOS fork with microG pre-installed, but the non-profit wants to make the installation process and settings organization easier and simpler. It also disables or removes any software that’s sending out personal data to Google, instead offering its own syncing solution for settings, contacts, and files with optional self-hosting capabilities.

/e/ currently works with 138 smartphone models, and there’s an “easy installer” for a few of them. If all of that tinkering is too much for you, you can even buy a phone with /e/ OS pre-installed. The company has a partnership with Fairphone to offer the Fairphone 3 and 3+ without Google apps (made possible thanks to EU regulations), but it also sells refurbished Samsung Galaxy phones.

Other ROMs

If your phone isn’t listed as compatible with /e/ OS or LineageOS with microG, things get a little more complicated. As stated in the box above, be extra careful about selecting an unknown ROM — generally, bigger players like LineageOS are a safer bet than others. For what it’s worth, you can find a small selection of other recommended ROMs on microG’s Github page.

When you go through the installation process, skip installing any Gapps package and instead flash NanoDroid (instructions) on your phone once you’re done installing the ROM, which will take care of getting microG working. If your ROM doesn’t support signature spoofing, which allows microG to pretend it’s Play Services, NanoDroid will also patch the system to support that.

Many ROM developers deactivate signature spoofing for security reasons, since an app pretending to be another app can potentially wreak havoc to your phone. If you carefully screen applications you install, that shouldn’t be an issue, though. It’s also likely that spoofing is not too widely exploited for hacking in the wild since only a small, mostly informed attack demographic exists.

There are already many articles out there explaining how to install custom ROMs, and since the process differs slightly for each, you’re better off relying on the instructions that come with the custom software you end up choosing. For a more general and easy-to-read guide, check out How-To Geek’s excellent custom ROM installation article.

Set up microG

Now that you’ve got your ROM installed and ready to use, you’ll need to jump through a few more hoops before everything is set up.

Look for the microG app on your phone and open it. Up top, there’s a Setup section with a Self-Check. Tap it, and you’ll see a checklist of features. Most of the boxes should be ticked already, but you’ll need to get the remaining ones working so you can fully enjoy your phone.

Find the System -> battery optimization entry and tap it, then choose Allow. This will turn off battery optimization for microG, allowing it to run in the background without restrictions — otherwise, apps relying on the service might misbehave.

You can back up the contacts stored on your phone or SIM card. If you lose or need to replace your phone, you can restore these contacts on the new phone.

Restoring data varies by phone and Android version. You can’t restore a backup from a higher Android version onto a phone running a lower Android version.

If you save your contacts to your Google Account, they automatically show on your phone after you sign in. You won’t need to restore contacts this way. Learn about syncing.

Export contacts

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Contacts app .
  2. Tap Menu SettingsExport.
  3. Choose one or more accounts to export contacts from.
  4. Tap Export to .VCF file.

Turn automatic backup off or on

When you first set up your Google Account on your phone, you’ll be asked if you want to back up your data. To change this setting:

  1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
  2. Tap SystemBackup.
  3. Turn Back up to Google Drive on or off.

Restore contacts from backups

Important: You can’t restore a backup from a higher Android version onto a phone running a lower Android version. Learn how to check and update your Android version.

  1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Google.
  3. Tap Set up & restore.
  4. Tap Restore contacts.
  5. If you have multiple Google Accounts, to choose which account’s contacts to restore, tap From account.
  6. Tap the phone with the contacts to copy.
  7. If you don’t want to copy contacts from your SIM card or phone storage, turn off SIM card or Device storage.
  8. Tap Restore, then wait until you see “Contacts restored.”
  9. To avoid duplicates, your phone restores only contacts that it doesn’t already have. Your restored contacts also sync to your current Google Account and other devices.

Tip: To restore contacts from other apps, like Outlook or WhatsApp, you’ll need to re-install those apps.

More ways to back up & restore

Learn more about how to back up or restore data on a Pixel phone or on an Android phone.

PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND THE FAQ BEFORE REGISTERING FOR THE GOOGLE ADSENSE ONLINE PROGRAM. PARTICIPATION IN THE GOOGLE ADSENSE ONLINE PROGRAM INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER FOR OR PARTICIPATE IN THE GOOGLE ADSENSE ONLINE PROGRAM.

Some Common Mistakes That Violate Google Adsense TOS –

1) Never Click On Your Own Adds.

2) Never Ask Other To Click On Your Adds.

3) Never Try To Change Anything In Your Adsense Code.

4) Never Use Other Adds On Your Website Along With Your Adsense Adds.

5) Do Not Send Your Ads By Email.

6) If Your Web Pages Language Is Not Supported, Do Not Use The Code On Such Pages.

7) Do Not Disclose Confidential Information i.e. CTR, CPM

8) Do Not Place More Than 3 Ad Units And 3 Add Links Or 2 Adsense Search Boxes On Any Web Page.

9) Never Create A New Page Only Of Adsense Adds For More Clicks.

10) Do Not Copy Content From Others Sites For Your Site.

11) Do Not Get Fake Traffic From Those Sites Which Offers Traffic For Your Sites.

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Backlinks , also known as incoming links, inlinks, inbound links and inward links, are incoming links to a website or web page. In basic link terminology, a backlink is any link received by a web node (web page, directory, website, or top level domain) from another web node. It will also increase your google search ranking.

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Its difficult to get Google Adsense Account nowadays but if we use real google adsense approval tricks and tips then we will our google adsense account approved.The Questions is that how to prevent our account to get banned from google adsense .We just have to follow the terms and Conditions of Google adsense online program.If you donot accept these terms and conditions ,please donot register for google adsense account

Some Common Mistakes That Violate Google Adsense TOS –

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4) Never Use Other Adds On Your Website Along With Your Adsense Adds.

5) Do Not Send Your Ads By Email.

6) If Your Web Pages Language Is Not Supported, Do Not Use The Code On Such Pages.

7) Do Not Disclose Confidential Information i.e. CTR, CPM

8) Do Not Place More Than 3 Ad Units And 3 Add Links Or 2 Adsense Search Boxes On Any Web Page.

9) Never Create A New Page Only Of Adsense Adds For More Clicks.

10) Do Not Copy Content From Others Sites For Your Site.

11) Do Not Get Fake Traffic From Those Sites Which Offers Traffic For Your Sites.

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2) Increase Google Plus ones
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Today i am gonna tell you a way to increase your web traffic by submitting your blog or site to blog directories. These blog directories have high pageranks and large numbers of visitors which helps you to increase your visitors and pageranks.

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Phone cloning is quite popular in the entertainment industry. Movie producers make it seem like one of the easiest things you can do to spy on someone’s activities. In reality, things are a bit different, in that phone cloning is not exactly easy to do.

How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phone

But, that doesn’t make phone cloning an impossibility, or even unlikely in some cases, especially since older phones are more susceptible to cloning than new ones. Here’s what you need to know about how cloning works, what it can mean to you, and how to check if a device has been cloned.

What Is Phone Cloning?

In the simplest of terms, phone cloning involves copying the identity of one mobile device in order to use it on another. Although there are three main methods of cloning, AMPS, CDMA, and GSM cloning, only the latter is more popular.

How to test drive google android on your pc without buying a phone

GSM cloning relies on identifying and copying the IMEI, or International Mobile Station Equipment Identity number. This is a unique identifier that can be obtained via hacking. Also in GSM cloning schemes you’ll find hardware SIM card cloning. In most cases this would require physical access to the SIM card in order to extract its K code.

While phone cloning is illegal in most countries, phone cloning can still be a thriving industry. But, due to how complex some of the detection methods are, such as radio fingerprinting, very few users are in danger of having their phones cloned. Most modern smartphones are more susceptible to direct hacking than cloning.

How to Check if Your Phone Has Been Cloned

If your phone has been cloned through a very basic IMEI cloning method, you might be able to spot a duplicate using phone locating software like Find My iPhone (Apple) or Find My Phone (Android).

  1. Log into your account.
  2. Use the map to pinpoint your phone’s location.
  3. Check for another or a duplicate marker.

If you see more than one device being pinged and you know you only have one phone, then it’s possible that the secondary device is the cloned version of your phone.

Another method that might work involves going through all expenses on your bill. If you find discrepancies like calls to numbers you don’t know, then your phone might have been cloned. You also don’t have to wait until the end of the month to do this.

If you contact your carrier you could request a preliminary bill and start verifying the expenses. However, keep in mind that not all criminals clone phones in order to rake up bill charges. Some simply clone devices and wait for sensitive information to be sent or received via text, information that they can exploit for monetary gain.

How to Check If You’re Using a Cloned Phone

It may be easier to tell if you’re using a cloned phone than to tell if your phone has been cloned. Why would someone sell you a cloned phone? Well, there could be dozens of reasons, but the main one will always be profit.

To check if you’re using a cloned phone you may want to start by paying extra attention to the incoming text messages and calls. Too many incoming calls and texts from unknown numbers and unknown senders, may indicate that you’re not the sole owner of your phone and number.

You may also want to check the IMEI and serial numbers online, on the manufacturer’s website. If they match then you should be the sole proprietor of that phone. If there are discrepancies, then chances are you’re using a cloned, or at least a fake phone.

Another thing you could do is to check the build quality. Check it against an unboxed phone of the same model. Look for anything out of the ordinary regarding weight, accessories, existing software, OS version, and performance.

If your phone is not working as well as it should or if it’s lighter than it should be, then you could be dealing with a cloned phone. Buying phones from unverified vendors or off Craigslist are just two of the ways in which you could end up with a cloned phone in your hands.

Cloning – Less of an Issue but Still a Troubling One

There’s not a lot of phone cloning going around these days since both carriers and hardware manufacturers have developed more advanced methods of combating this nefarious act. With that in mind, once your phone has been successfully cloned, you could be potentially subject to blackmail, identity theft, etc.

You might also have to face the fact that it could be impossible to determine whether or not your phone has been cloned. There are plenty of sophisticated cloning devices that may very well leave no traces behind. Let us know how you feel about phone cloning, how often do you think it happens, and what your thoughts are on prevention methods.

We explain how to scan documents on Android using either Google Drive or Microsoft Lens, letting you digitize receipts, photos, and more.

Image Credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

Scanning documents isn't fun, but we all have to do it sometimes. Thankfully, using your Android device, you can quickly scan documents without any special equipment.

Next time you need to digitize a receipt for reimbursement, scan a government form so you can email it, or want to save business cards to your computer, here's a simple guide covering how to scan documents on Android.

The Simple Android Scanner Method: Google Drive

Android doesn't offer a built-in way to scan documents, so the easiest option is using the Google Drive app. Since it's installed on almost every Android device out of the box, it's as good as a default method.

Scanning with Google Drive also offers several benefits. As it uploads your scan to your Drive account, you don't have to remember to back up your documents manually. It's also easy to share your scans with family or colleagues by sending them a Drive link.

How to Scan Documents Using the Google Drive App

If you don't have the app already, install Google Drive from the Play Store, open the app, and sign into your Google account. On any of the app's tabs, tap the Plus button at the bottom-right of the screen to show the Create new panel. Choose Scan once this appears.

If this is your first time using Google Drive, you'll have to grant permission for the app to use your camera. Once you've done so, the camera will launch and allow you to snap a photo of the document you want to scan. Use the camera interface as normal to take this picture. Common options like zoom and a timer are available, if needed.

Image Gallery (3 Images)

You'll see a preview of your photo; tap the redo button to try again, or the Check button if you're satisfied. After hitting the Check button, you'll have the option to make several edits to your scan.

Editing Your Scan in Google Drive

Google Drive offers four icons at the bottom of your scan page. From left to right, these are:

  • Redo: Tap the arrow to scan the document again, which is useful if it came out blurry or similar.
  • Color: The palette icon lets you choose between four color enhancement options. Black & White and Color are the most common, depending on whether your document has color. But you can try the other two to see if they improve the scan quality.
  • Rotate: Use this to rotate the scan in 90-degree increments.
  • Crop: Google Drive's scanner should automatically crop the scan to what it detects as the edges of your document. But in case it didn't get this right, use the Crop tool to adjust the edges yourself.

Image Gallery (2 Images)

If you want to add additional scans, tap the Plus icon in the bottom-left corner to scan another document. Finally, there are a few options accessible using the three-dot menu at the top-right. Use Rename scan to change the generic name that uses the date and time.

There are a few options under Settings worth looking at, too. Image enhancement lets you set the default color enhancement. Paper Size lets you change the size of document the final PDF uses, while Paper Orientation can be Landscape or Portrait if you don't like the Automatic option.

Finally, change the Image Quality if you want higher-quality scans, or to drop the quality for smaller file sizes.

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Viewing and Saving Scanned Documents in Google Drive

When you're all done, tap the Save button back on the main scan page. Here, you'll have a chance to change the document title if you haven't already, as well as pick which Google Drive account the file goes to (if you have multiple). Pick a Folder, and it will upload to Drive when you tap Save.

You can view the PDF in your Google Drive anytime. If you want to access it even without a network connection, tap the three-dot button on the file and choose Make available offline. You can also choose Download to save a local copy anywhere on your phone's storage.

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How to Scan Documents on Android Using Microsoft Lens

While scanning documents on Android with Google Drive is easy, you might not like the app for whatever reason. Maybe you don't want to use a Google account, or perhaps you don't like the idea of every scan you make uploading to the cloud.

In that case, there are tons of mobile document scanner apps worth using. We'll highlight one of the best: Microsoft Lens. It's a simple Android document scanner that lets you easily save your scans as local files, which fixes the biggest hangup with Google Drive.

Install Microsoft Lens, then open it to start. During the brief intro, you'll see some basic info about the app and will be asked to grant permission to your photos and camera. Once you've done this, Lens lets you jump right into scanning.

Microsoft Lens Scanning Modes

Unlike Google Drive, Lens provides modes for scanning different types of media. Along the bottom, you can switch to Whiteboard, Document, Actions, Business Card, or Photo. Most of these are self-explanatory, except for Actions, which houses several tools.

Inside Actions, you can use the sub-menu to choose from the following OCR tools:

  • Text: Extract the text from a picture so you can copy or share it.
  • Table: Grabs a printed table from an image.
  • Read: Speaks text in your image out loud.
  • Contact: Grabs the info from a business card and saves it to a contact on your phone.
  • QR Code:Scan a QR code with your phone to open the information it holds. This isn't OCR, but it's grouped into the same menu.

Capturing and Editing Using Microsoft Lens

No matter which mode you're using, scanning the document is the same: just point your camera at it and snap a picture as usual. For best results, use a background that contrasts with the document you're scanning, and hold your phone right above the media for the cleanest capture.

After capturing with Lens, you can adjust the borders in case the app doesn't detect them properly. Once you hit Confirm, you'll see a page with all sort of options.

Add opens the scanner so you can add more images to the document. Use Filters to modify the look of the image, then Crop and Rotate if it doesn't look right.

Under More, you can select Ink to draw on the document, Text to overlay typed text, or Reorder to rearrange the items in a scan. When you're happy, tap Done to move on.