How to Switch from Microsoft Lens to ScanWow (2026 Migration Guide)
Microsoft Lens is fully retired. Scans you saved to OneDrive are still in OneDrive, and the Lens app can no longer create new scans after March 9, 2026. This guide walks through everything: how to retrieve your old scans, how to bring them into ScanWow, and how to rebuild a scanning workflow that is faster than Lens was.
Before you start: understanding what you have
When you used Microsoft Lens, it saved your scans in one of a few places depending on how you configured it:
- OneDrive: most users had scans go here automatically, usually in a folder called "Documents Scanned" or a custom folder.
- OneNote: if you scanned directly into notes, they live in your OneNote notebooks.
- Photos: if you exported as image, some scans may be in your iPhone's Photos library.
The good news: your OneDrive files are not deleted. Microsoft retired the scanning app, not the storage. You still have access to everything you previously scanned as long as you can log in to your Microsoft account through OneDrive or the web.
Do this first: Before installing anything new, spend five minutes in OneDrive to confirm your important scans are there and accessible. If you have documents you absolutely cannot lose, download them to your iPhone or a computer now: do not wait.
Step-by-step migration
1 Export your existing Lens scans from OneDrive
Open the OneDrive app on your iPhone (or visit onedrive.live.com on a browser). Look for the folder where Lens stored your scans, often labeled "Documents Scanned." Select the PDFs or images you want to keep and download them. On iPhone, save to the Files app (the "On My iPhone" folder is fine) or to iCloud Drive. You can also select multiple files and share them to yourself via email or AirDrop if you want a desktop copy.
2 Download ScanWow from the App Store
Search for "ScanWow" in the App Store, or use the direct link: apps.apple.com/app/scanwow. Install the app. You do not need to create an account or enter any credentials. Open the app once to let it initialize.
3 Import your existing scans into ScanWow
ScanWow can import from both Photos and Files, including existing PDFs. Tap the import button inside the app and select the PDFs you downloaded from OneDrive in step 1. ScanWow imports up to 20 pages of each PDF. You do not need to flatten or convert anything first. Once imported, your old Lens scans live inside ScanWow alongside any new scans you take.
4 Set up iCloud backup (optional, Pro)
If you upgrade to ScanWow Pro (one-time $4.99), you can enable automatic iCloud backup. This keeps your scans in your own iCloud account, not a ScanWow server. It works similarly to how Lens used OneDrive, except iCloud is already part of your Apple Account. Go to ScanWow settings, tap iCloud Backup, and toggle it on. When you install ScanWow on a new iPhone or iPad signed in to the same Apple Account, your library is restored.
5 Scan your first new document
Open ScanWow and tap the camera button. Point your iPhone at a document on a flat surface. ScanWow will auto-detect the edges and highlight the crop area. Tap the shutter, confirm the crop (adjust manually if needed), and tap export. Choose PDF and save to Files, share via the iOS share sheet, or copy to another app. It takes a few taps once you know the flow.
What to expect when you switch
The camera flow is familiar
The core action (point, shoot, crop, export) is the same rhythm as Lens. You can adjust the crop corners by hand whenever the auto-crop misses.
Text recognition on your device
ScanWow reads text on your device in 17 languages (pick one in Settings), and the extracted text is searchable directly inside the app. From version 3.0.5, it is also searchable inside the PDFs you export.
No OneDrive dependency
One of the most common frustrations with Lens was that it was deeply tied to OneDrive. If you did not use Microsoft 365 heavily, the integration felt like overhead. ScanWow's iCloud backup keeps everything in Apple's ecosystem. If you prefer to keep scans local only, you can do that too. ScanWow does not require any cloud service.
Siri and Shortcuts
ScanWow supports Siri and Apple Shortcuts. You can set up a shortcut to open the scanner directly: useful if you scan frequently and want to shave a few taps.
Handling edge cases
Scans stored in OneNote, not OneDrive
If you scanned directly into OneNote notebooks, the process is slightly different. Open OneNote, find the note containing the scan, and export or copy the image. You can then import that image into ScanWow using the Photos import. ScanWow will treat it like any imported image and let you export it as a PDF.
Large archives
If you have a large library of old Lens scans (hundreds of PDFs) the most practical approach is to download them in batches to iCloud Drive first, then import the important ones into ScanWow. You do not have to move everything at once. ScanWow is good for active documents you access regularly; your full archive can stay in iCloud Drive or wherever you prefer.
Shared scans and team workflows
If you were sharing scanned documents with a team through OneDrive, the simplest continuation is to keep sharing PDFs via Files, email, or another tool your team already uses. ScanWow's export uses the iOS share sheet, so you can send to any app your team relies on.
Frequently asked questions
Are my old Microsoft Lens scans deleted?
No. Files you saved to OneDrive or OneNote are still there as long as your Microsoft account is active. Only the Lens scanning app itself has been retired. Download anything important at your convenience.
Can ScanWow import PDFs I saved from Lens?
Yes. ScanWow can import PDF files directly from the Files app, including multi-page PDFs. Use the import button inside ScanWow and navigate to the Files location where you saved your OneDrive exports.
Do I need to pay for ScanWow to import old scans?
Not to try it. Your first 3 documents are free, and an imported multi-page PDF counts as one. To import a larger library of old scans you need Pro ($4.99 one-time in the US, no subscription), which adds unlimited scans, automatic iCloud backup, and 1,000 Magic Enhance credits. Text recognition is included for everyone.
How is ScanWow's iCloud backup different from Lens's OneDrive backup?
Once you turn it on (Pro), ScanWow backs up your scans automatically in the background. The key difference is that ScanWow backs up to your own iCloud, using the Apple Account and iCloud storage you already have: no new account, no Microsoft dependency. The backup is controlled entirely by you.
Can I use ScanWow on iPad as well as iPhone?
Yes. ScanWow runs on both iPhone and iPad. With iCloud backup enabled, a new iPhone or iPad on the same Apple Account restores your library when you install ScanWow. It is a backup, not live sync.
Ready to finish the migration? ScanWow is free to download and needs no account to set up.
Download ScanWow Free