File type for OneDrive Capture (former Lens)

Ceaster 10 Reputation points
2026-03-03T08:26:58.55+00:00

I used to use Lens to scan documents and save to OneDrive. Each photo would be saved as a separate jpg.

Recently the Lens app says to "move to OneDrive to keep scanning." The Capture function works much the same as Lens, except for there is no choice of how to save the file, only the location to save the file. All photo scans get saved as a PDF with multiple pages.

Is there a way to choose to save as image files? Will this feature be added in the future?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | iOS
0 comments

3 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Rodrigo Queiroz 78,755 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-03T12:34:42.9533333+00:00

    HI, I'm Rodrigo and I will help you.

    You can choose the option to scan a photo on the OneDrive app before saving the file; it must be selected before scanning, and it will output a .jpeg file.

    When it opens the camera to start scanning, slide to select the Photo option.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. Dori A Schmetterling 0 Reputation points
    2026-11-09T12:29:09.5066667+00:00

    I just found a way of saving a scan as a jpg on my Android MFG (multifunctional gadget with which I can also make phone calls).

    1. Open the OneDrive app.
    2. At the very top select Photos (NOT Files)
    3. At the bottom hit "+" and then "Scan photo". A blue frame appears.
    4. Scan your document.
    5. Hit "Review and edit. You can adjust the frame/crop/expand as in MS Lens.
    6. Hit "Finish".
    7. Select your save location option. I tested by saving to Files in my MFG's Downloads folder. You have the option of changing the file name at this stage, like in Lens. The saved file is in jpg format.

    NB: the key thing is start off in Photos as in Step 2 above. If you don't do this (and stay with the 'default' Files status) and just switch to Photo at the scanning stage you will just get a "dumb photo" as Matthew Fuller said on 8 Mar 26.

    I hope it helps and that others can reproduce this.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  3. AI answer

    2026-03-03T08:27:09.9466667+00:00

    OneDrive’s built‑in Scan/Capture feature saves scans as PDFs and does not provide an option to save each page as an individual image file (such as JPG). The behavior described—multi‑page PDF output with no file‑type choice—is the current, expected design of the OneDrive Scan feature.

    The available guidance only documents saving scans from OneDrive as PDFs and does not mention any setting to switch output to image formats, nor any announced plan to add such an option. For scenarios that require image files, the documented alternatives are:

    • Use Microsoft Lens (iOS or Android) while it remains available to save captures as images or other formats such as Word, PowerPoint, or PDF.
    • After scanning to PDF with OneDrive, use another tool or service to convert the PDF pages to images.

    Note that Microsoft Lens itself is planned for retirement on iOS and Android starting January 9, 2026, with OneDrive Scan recommended as the long‑term alternative.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.