If you relied on Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad, you've likely noticed that the app is gone. Microsoft retired Lens on both iOS and Android in early 2026, and as of March 9, 2026, scanning no longer works even if you still have it installed.
Microsoft now recommends OneDrive as a replacement. But not everyone wants to use OneDrive just to scan a receipt or a contract. If you're looking for a lightweight, dedicated, and privacy-friendly Microsoft Lens alternative, QuickScan is worth a look.
What happened to Microsoft Lens?
Microsoft removed the Lens app from the App Store and Google Play on January 9, 2026. Users could still scan documents until March 9, 2026, after which the scanning functionality stopped working entirely. Microsoft's recommendation is to use the OneDrive app, which includes a built-in scanning feature.
The problem? Not everyone wants or needs OneDrive. Many users just need a simple, fast, reliable document scanner - without being tied to a Microsoft account or ecosystem.
What made Microsoft Lens great
Microsoft Lens was popular for good reasons:
- Automatic edge detection and perspective correction
- OCR (text recognition) for extracting text from images
- Whiteboard mode that cleaned up glare and shadows
- Table extraction to Excel
- Export to PDF, Word, and PowerPoint
- Integration with OneDrive
- Free to use
If these features mattered to you, the good news is that QuickScan covers all of them and goes further.
QuickScan vs Microsoft Lens: feature comparison
| Feature | Microsoft Lens (iOS) | QuickScan |
|---|---|---|
| Available on iOS | Discontinued | Yes |
| Price | Was free | Free (donation-based) |
| Data collection | Yes (Microsoft account required) | None. Zero data collection. |
| Automatic edge detection | Yes | Yes |
| OCR text recognition | Yes (cloud-based, thus sending your documents to someone else's servers) | Yes (100% on-device) |
| Searchable PDF export | Yes | Yes |
| Table extraction to Excel | Yes | Yes |
| Digital signatures | No | Yes (finger or Apple Pencil) |
| Automation / auto-filing | No | Yes (Export Favorites, Shortcuts) |
| Cloud upload | OneDrive only | iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, WebDAV, pCloud, NextCloud, Synology, SMB, Paperless-ngx, Email |
| Password-protected PDFs | No | Yes |
| Face ID / Touch ID lock | No | Yes |
What makes QuickScan the best replacement
1. Privacy first
This is the biggest difference. Microsoft Lens required a Microsoft account and processed data through Microsoft's servers. QuickScan has a zero data collection policy. Everything - scanning, OCR, file processing - happens on your device. No account required. No servers involved. Your documents stay private.
2. On-device OCR
QuickScan's OCR runs entirely on your iPhone or iPad. The recognized text is embedded directly into your exported PDFs, making them fully searchable and selectable (copy/paste). No internet connection needed.
3. More cloud options
Microsoft Lens was tied to OneDrive. QuickScan supports iCloud Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, WebDAV, pCloud, NextCloud, NAS, Synology, SMB, Paperless-ngx, and email. You choose where your documents go.
4. Automation
QuickScan can automatically name, organize, and upload your scanned documents. Set up Export Favorites with preconfigured settings and destinations. Use widgets and Shortcuts to trigger different scanning workflows - your documents get filed in seconds, automatically.
5. Digital signatures
Sign documents directly in QuickScan using your finger or Apple Pencil. Your signatures can be protected with Face ID or Touch ID. This was something Microsoft Lens never offered.
6. Native iOS performance
QuickScan is built from scratch for iOS. It's not a cross-platform app trying to work everywhere - it's optimized specifically for iPhone and iPad. The result is a fast, lightweight app that feels like a native part of iOS.
How to switch from Microsoft Lens to QuickScan
- Download QuickScan for free from the App Store
- Open the app and start scanning - the automatic edge detection works immediately
- Set up your preferred cloud destination (OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, or any other supported service) through Export Favorites
- Optionally, enable Face ID/Touch ID protection for extra security
That's it. No account creation, no sign-in, no setup wizard. You can be scanning in seconds.
Conclusion
Microsoft Lens was a solid scanning app, but its retirement in early 2026 left a gap for millions of users on both iOS and Android. QuickScan fills that gap and then some: it's free, it's private, it supports more cloud services, and it adds features like signatures and automation that Lens never had.
QuickScan is rated 4.9/5 with over 30,000 ratings on the App Store and has been featured by Apple multiple times.
If you're still looking for a Microsoft Lens replacement, give QuickScan a try.
