Scan a letter on your phone and get reminded before it's due

To scan a letter on your phone, open a scanner app, hold the phone over the page and save it as a PDF. ScanMojo does that free on iPhone and Android with no ads, then reads the dates printed on the letter and suggests a reminder, so a renewal or a bill due date doesn't sit on the counter until it's late. You choose each reminder, and three at a time are free.

  1. 1

    Open the letter flat

    Unfold it on a table with some light on it. Staples can stay in: ScanMojo finds the page edges and removes fingers, staples and shadows for you.

  2. 2

    Scan every page

    Tap Scan and hold the phone over the first page, then the next. All the pages go into one document, and ScanMojo names it for you from what's on the page, so you don't have to type a name.

  3. 3

    Open Remind Me

    In the document, tap the ••• menu and choose Remind Me…. Under "Dates in this document" you'll see the dates ScanMojo read from the letter, such as a due date or a renewal date.

  4. 4

    Pick the date and how early

    Choose the date that matters, or set your own, then choose On the day, 1 day before, 3 days before or 1 week before, and tap Save. Check the date against the letter before you rely on it.

  5. 5

    Deal with it when the reminder comes

    The reminder arrives in the morning. Tap it and the letter opens at the page the date came from. When it's handled, choose Mark as done. If it isn't done by the due date, you're reminded once more that morning.

Which letters to set a reminder for

Anything that asks you to do something by a date: a bill, an insurance or car registration renewal, a school form, a jury summons, a tax notice, a letter asking you to call back. Letters with no date on them only need to be scanned, so you can find them later.

For a driver's license or passport in the IDs or Passports folder, Remind Me can remind you 6 months before it expires, which leaves time to renew.

ScanMojo suggests dates from the page; it doesn't decide what a letter means. If you're not sure what a notice is asking for, call the number on it.

Three at a time, free

Reminders are free for three at a time. When you mark one as done, or its day passes, that place is free again, so most households can keep the three most urgent letters covered. ScanMojo Pro has as many reminders as you need.

To see everything coming up, open Tools and then Reminders. Dates found in your other scans show under "Found in your documents", ready to set with a tap on the bell.

Finding the letter later

The text of every page is read on your phone, so Search finds a letter by any word printed on it: the company, an account word, a street. Once it's scanned and has a reminder, the paper can go in a drawer or the recycling, whichever the letter allows.

To send it to someone, open it and tap Share to send it as a PDF by email or message. Your scans stay on your phone unless you share them or turn on sync to your own iCloud Drive or Google Drive, and there's no account.

Questions

How do I scan a letter on my iPhone or Android phone?

Open ScanMojo, tap Scan and hold the phone over each page. The pages go into one PDF, cleaned up and named for you, and it works the same way on iPhone and Android.

Can my phone remind me when a bill or letter is due?

Yes. ScanMojo reads the dates printed on the letter and suggests them in Remind Me. You pick one, or your own date, and how early to hear about it. Three reminders at a time are free.

Does it set reminders by itself?

No. You choose each reminder from the dates it finds or a date of your own, and you should check it against the letter.

Is it really free?

Yes. Scanning, text recognition, search, PDF export and three reminders at a time are free, with no ads, no watermark, no scan limit and no account.

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