PDF Scanner App - Tiny Scanner

What it does

Tiny Scanner is a mobile app that transforms a smartphone into a powerful document scanner. It's designed to quickly capture high-quality scans of paper documents, receipts, notes, and ID cards. Beyond simple capture, the app provides a suite of editing tools to crop, apply filters, add signatures, and even recognize text with OCR, allowing users to manage and share professional-looking documents as PDFs or JPEGs directly from their device.

Where it shines

Tiny Scanner excels in its focused and efficient workflows. The core scanning process is fast and intuitive, automatically detecting document edges and providing immediate editing tools post-capture (01:05). A standout feature is the dedicated 'ID Card' mode (04:07), which elegantly solves the common problem of scanning both sides of a card onto a single page. The app also demonstrates its power with advanced features like adding a custom watermark (02:50), which is handled through a simple, guided process.

UX highlights

Contextual Toolbars: After a scan, the app presents relevant tools like filters and signatures (01:13) at the bottom, eliminating the need to navigate menus and keeping the user in the creative flow.
Direct Manipulation: Cropping and resizing elements, such as a signature on a document (01:15), is done through direct touch gestures, which feels natural and provides immediate visual feedback.
Purpose-Built Modes: The app offers different scanning modes like 'Single', 'Batch', and 'ID Card' (04:07), catering to various user needs directly from the camera screen.
Clear Permission Prompts: While using system defaults, the app requests permissions for camera (00:45) and photo library (00:49) at the exact moment they are needed, making the request logical to the user.
Simple File Management: Creating folders (05:04) and moving documents (05:12) is straightforward, using familiar drag-and-drop or selection-based interactions.

Monetization & growth

Monetization is front and center. The app presents a paywall immediately after the initial launch screen (00:18), offering a 3-day free trial that converts to a monthly subscription. This gates the entire app experience, filtering for users with high intent. The value of the subscription is reinforced contextually when using premium features like watermarking. The app also includes an in-app prompt to rate the app (03:58) after a user successfully completes a task, a common growth tactic to boost App Store visibility.

Who it’s for

This app is ideal for students, freelancers, and small business owners who frequently handle physical documents and need a reliable way to digitize, sign, and share them on the go. Its simplicity makes it accessible for casual users needing to scan a one-off receipt, while its advanced features like batch scanning, OCR, and password protection cater to professionals who require more robust document management.

Notes & opportunities

The initial onboarding is extremely brief, consisting of a single social proof screen before the paywall. While this is efficient, it doesn't demonstrate the app's value beforehand. The app could potentially increase conversion by allowing users to complete one successful scan before showing the paywall. Additionally, the sign-up process for cloud sync (05:29) occurs late in the user journey, which might be an opportunity to introduce earlier to secure user data and create an account from the start.