July 10, 2024, 11:03 am | Read time: 4 minutes
With the Stack app, Google tested a PDF scanner that does more than just scan documents. Now, the company is discontinuing Stack. However, Google will hopefully transfer its most practical features to another popular app.
Innovation is the key to success–especially for tech companies. That’s why Google has the Area 120 program, an incubator for new applications. Within this framework, Google introduced the Android app Stack in 2021, which allows users to scan documents on their smartphones and organize them using AI. Although the app’s features are quite practical, Google will end support for the app on September 23, 2024. Stack is not available in Germany, but local users could still benefit from Google’s experimental PDF scanner in the future.
Stack as a Smart PDF Scanner
One of Stack’s core competencies, besides scanning, is the manual and automated filing of documents. The app converts photos into a PDF file and recognizes whether it’s, for example, a cover letter, a prescription, or an invoice. Stack can extract important data such as the date or invoice amount and automatically file the PDF in the appropriate folder. After testing its AI-supported PDF scanner for several years, Google plans to move the key features to Google Drive.
In a support document, Google writes: “Starting the week of September 23, 2024, we will remove support for Stack: PDF Scanner by Google, an older PDF scanner and document manager whose features have been integrated into the Google Drive app.” Those who have used Stack can export their documents to Google Drive using a special tool. For users in Germany, it will be particularly interesting to see to what extent Stack’s organizational features are actually integrated into Google Drive.
Alternative PDF Scanners for Smartphones
Google itself recommends its own application Google Drive as an alternative to Stack. By tapping the camera icon in the lower right corner, users can scan, edit, and save documents as PDFs. The automatic analysis and organization like in Stack is currently not available in Germany. With AI techniques like Gemini, Google could improve the Drive app and make it a true replacement for Stack. However, there are also alternative PDF scanners for smartphones beyond Google.
Adobe Scan: PDF Scanner, OCR
Adobe Scan is available for Android and iOS and allows users to scan documents and save them as PDFs or JPEGs. The app automatically sharpens images and increases contrast, but manual cleanup is also possible. The app features automatic text recognition (OCR) and can convert recognized text into digital text.
For business cards, the PDF scanner automatically recognizes contact information and adds it to contacts. Although the app is free in its basic application, there are in-app purchases and subscriptions that allow, among other things, the export of PDFs to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. In the free version, the OCR application is limited to 25 pages.
Also of interest: 40 Years of Adobe – The Story Behind the PDF
Office Lens – PDF Scanner by Microsoft
Microsoft’s PDF scanner offers a slightly larger range of functions than the free version of Adobe Scan. Availability for iOS and Android, automatic text recognition OCR, and both automatic and manual editing options are provided by Office Lens. Scanned documents are automatically stored in OneDrive but can also be exported to OneNote.
Office Lens also features the ability to automatically read business cards and transfer contact information to the contact list. Unlike Adobe Scan, Microsoft’s PDF scanner offers free conversion to PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.
In addition to the major providers, there are also numerous other free PDF scanners for smartphones, albeit with varying levels of functionality. Many smartphone cameras now have an integrated scan function that can also extract text. Which app is best suited depends on the individual needs of the users. Those who only occasionally need to scan a single document might find the smartphone camera’s scan function sufficient. However, those who frequently scan and want to export documents effortlessly might opt for a solution like Office Lens. For Google Drive, the wide range of PDF scanners also means: The market demands innovation.