Most times when you want to scan a document on your PC, you will usually think of using a physical scanner. But, if you are using a Chromebook, it shouldn’t be as hard as it is.
Chromebook is known for its success because of its operating system which offers amazing features that other PCs and laptops don’t have such as the ability to scan a document on the PC with or without an external scanner.
Therefore, this article will show you all you need on how to scan on Chromebook.
There are several methods through which you can scan on Chromebook, one of such methods is using the Embedded Web Server (EWS) found mainly on Hewlett-Packard (HP) printers.
In this post, you will also get information on how to use a printer’s scan-to-web service or your mobile device and Google Drive.
How to Scan on Chromebook Using EWS
Hewlett Packard is one of the most popular printer manufacturers in the market and most HP Printers have this feature called Embedded Web Server (EWS).
With HP’s Embedded Web Server (EWS) you can scan any document on Chromebook. Follow the steps below on how to scan on Chromebook using EWS:
- Search for your printer’s IP address first to use EWS on your Chromebook.
- The simplest way to do this is to navigate to the built-in menu on the printer, under Preferences >> Options >> Wireless Settings (if it’s a wireless printer).
- You may as well see a View Wireless Details option to view the IP address.
- After getting the IP address of your HP printer, launch Google Chrome on your Chromebook and enter that IP address into the URL address field.
- Now, you will see the main menu for your printer.
- Click on the Scan tab.
- Check under Webscan, if you have never used this feature before, it’s most likely to see an error message that the feature has been disabled.
- Click on the Settings tab if this is the case.
- From the left menu under Security, select Administrator Settings.
- Click on the checkbox to enable the Webscan feature.
- Click on Apply after you are done.
- Once you return to the Scan tab, check to see the scan settings where you can change the output document type, resolution, quality, and other settings.
- Choose Start Scan to enable your printer to scan the document you already placed on the scanner bed.
- This will initiate the opening of a new tab in your browser where you will see the image of the scan being displayed.
- Once the scan is completed, then you can right-click on the image and click on Save image to save it to your Chromebook or Google Drive account.
- You can go ahead to repeat this process as many times as possible to scan additional documents or photos.
How to Scan on Chromebook with Scan to Cloud
In case you don’t have an HP printer, there are still other options available you can try on how to scan on Chromebook. For instance, most Epson printers come with a Scan to Cloud feature.
However, before you can access this feature, you need to visit the Epson Connect web page and create a new account first. Once you have successfully signed in, you can go ahead to follow the steps below:
- Choose Scan to Cloud >> Destination List >> Add and select the cloud service (like Google Drive) where you want to save your scans to the cloud.
- Once you are done, simply choose the Scan to Cloud setting on your Epson control panel to begin a scan and send it to your preferred cloud service.
- After the scan has been completed, you can then access the cloud service with your Chromebook to retrieve the scanned document.
In case you are looking to print from anywhere with your Chromebook, a great option is Google Cloud Print.
Although this service does not include a scanning feature, it’s an easy way to print to your printer at home over the internet irrespective of where you are.
Recommended: How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook
How to use the Camera App on your Chromebook as a Scanner
With the Camera app on your Chromebook, you can easily scan a document or QR code on Chrome OS with built-in device cameras.
Towards the end of 2021, Google announced that Chrome OS already added the ability to work as a scanner of documents as well as QR codes.
These functions are displayed as new Scan options in the built-in Camera app, along with the functioning video, photo, square, and portrait options. Follow the steps below to use the camera app to scan on your Chromebook:
Position your Document:
While in Scan mode, the camera usually tries to auto-detect document edges. The Camera app displays a blue line onscreen to show a detected document edge.
Move the desired document you want to scan (or your computer or a combination of the two) to enable the borders of the document to be within the field of view of the camera.
Choose the Button to take the Scan
Once your document takes up as much of the camera’s field of view as possible and the blue lines correctly identify the edges, choose the button to capture your scan.
The system will delete portions of the image outside of the detected edges of the document, giving you an image of your item.
Review the Scan
The app will display your scan. Ensure that the scan captures all portions of your document. In case you don’t like the displayed scan, you can decide to retake or repeat the positioning and capture process.
Save as JPEG or PDF
You must choose the format in which you want your scanned document. You can either save it either as a JPEG, which is typically used for photos or images, or PDF, which is typically used for text or printed pages.
Now, the Camera app will save the file to your local system. To access scanned items on your device, follow the steps below:
- Open the Chrome OS Files app.
- Go to My Files (from the left menu), and choose Camera.
- Scanned items will be displayed to the right, with system-assigned names and either .jpeg or .pdf file suffixes.
- You may open and review items.
We recommend that you upload scanned items that you want to keep for the long term to Google Drive.
How to scan with HP Chromebook
If you have an HP Chromebook, this is how to scan from Chrome OS (Chromebooks), follow the simple steps below:
- Tap on the clock in the bottom right corner, and then click on the Settings icon.
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen, and then select Advanced.
- Under Print and scan, click on Scan.
- Select your printer, and then change any settings in the Menu on the right and More settings.
That’s it!
How Do I scan to PDF in Chrome?
If you are wondering how to scan PDFs in Chrome to allow Drive protects your privacy, follow the steps below:
- Open the Google Drive app.
- Click on Add at the bottom right.
- Click on Scan.
- Take a picture of the document you want to scan.
- Adjust the scan area by tapping Crop.
- Create your title or choose a suggested title.
- To save the finished document, click on Save.
That’s it!
How Do I scan a QR Code with my Chromebook?
Do you wish to scan a QR code with your Chromebook, here’s how to go about it below:
- Open your Chromebook’s Camera app >> choose Scan >> hold the QR code up to the Chromebook’s camera lens.
- The app should automatically scan the code, however, if it’s having issues reading it, you can adjust the lighting and positioning and try again.
That’s it! You have successfully scanned a QR code with your Chromebook.
Why can’t I Scan to my Chromebook?
In case you have been trying to scan on your Chromebook and you are seeing an error message, you can try any of the troubleshooting steps below:
- Go to Settings >> Administrator Settings.
- Check the box next to Enable Webscan.
- Go to the Scan tab and choose Start Scan.
This should fix the can’t scan on Chromebook error!
We hope this article has been able to justify the question of how to scan on a Chromebook. Feel free to drop your comments and questions in the section below.