How to Get the Most Out of Office Lens: The Ultimate Guide and Essential Tricks

Last update: 26/05/2025
Author Isaac
  • Microsoft Lens makes it easy to scan, edit, and organize documents from your mobile device.
  • Its text recognition (OCR) allows you to quickly extract information from printed or handwritten documents.
  • Integration with services like OneDrive and OneNote enhances management and secure access to your files.

Tools to get the most out of Office Lens

Since smartphones became part of our daily lives, countless applications have appeared to facilitate everyday tasks. One that stands out especially in the field of scanning and organizing documents is Office Lens, now known as Microsoft Lens. With it, anyone can transform piles of paperwork into organized and functional digital files, without the need for sophisticated equipment or advanced technical knowledge.

Would you like to know how to get the most out of this tool and what possibilities it offers beyond the typical scan? In this article we are going to break down all the functionalities of Office Lens, its Tricks, advanced options, and their most practical use cases, explained step by step, so you can organize, edit, share, and get the most out of it both professionally and personally. We'll also show you everything the app can do on your mobile device and how to integrate it with other Microsoft applications and external services.

What is Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) and what is it used for?

Microsoft Lens is a free application developed by Microsoft, available for devices Android y iOS, which allows you to scan and digitize documents quickly and easilyIts main appeal is its ability to convert a photo taken with your phone into a clean and functional digital file, removing shadows, correcting angles, and leaving the document ready to edit, save, or share. You'll no longer have to rely on cumbersome scanners or blurry photos that end up lost in your phone's gallery.

In addition to scanning, Lens takes its functionality a step further by allowing direct conversion to files such as PDF, Become or PowerPoint, text extraction (thanks to optical character recognition or OCR), capturing information from business cards, and direct integration with services such as OneNote and OneDrive, among others.

The app automatically recognizes the edges of documents, whiteboards, receipts, menus, handwritten notes, and even math equations.When capturing, adjust the brightness and correct distortions to deliver a result that's as faithful to the original as possible, but enhanced and ready to be worked with digitally.

Some of the key benefits of Microsoft Lens include the ability to extract and edit text from printed or handwritten documents, save business card information directly to your address book, scan QR codes, and share the resulting files immediately via email, messaging apps, or cloud services..

Capture modes: adapted to each need

Microsoft Lens offers several capture modes to suit different types of documents or situations.This variety is what makes it such a versatile tool, as it can handle everything from invoices to classroom whiteboards, business cards, photographs, and QR codes.

The main modes are:

  • Whiteboard: Perfect for Capture notes, diagrams, or hand-drawn pictures on whiteboards or walls, adjusting the image so that the background is not glare and the content is clearly visible.
  • Document: Ideal for Scan printed or written sheets, such as forms, contracts, receipts, menus, brochures, or any paper that needs to be digitized.. Sharpens small text and optimizes sharpness and contrast.
  • Actions: It brings together intelligent functionalities, among which stands out Text extraction (OCR), reading aloud, table recognition, and scanning QR codes or contact information.
  • Business card: Designed for Scan business cards and save the extracted information as new contacts on your phone or in OneNote, compatible with multiple languages.
  • Photos: Designed for Capture conventional photographs, including images of people, landscapes, objects, or any scene that you want to save with the best possible quality.
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Once you have selected the appropriate mode, simply focus on the document and make sure the contours are aligned within the frame.. Lens automatically detects edges and lets you adjust the framing before capturing the final image, reducing errors and improving results.

How to scan documents step by step with Microsoft Lens

The scanning process with Microsoft Lens is simple, intuitive, and similar on most devices.. You just have to download the app from your mobile phone's store (Google Play for Android or App Store for iOS), open it and grant the necessary permissions to use the camera and the storage.

Basic steps for scanning:

  • Open the app and choose the capture mode depending on the type of document.
  • Focus the document and check that the orange frame correctly defines the edges.
  • Take a photo by pressing the camera buttonYou can also import an image from your phone's gallery if you already have one.
  • Adjust the edges and edit the image if necessary (crop, rotate, apply filters, remove shadows or highlight text).
  • Save the file in the desired format (image, PDF, Word, PowerPoint), on the device, in OneNote, OneDrive or share it directly via email or message.

One of the most valued features is post-editing, which allows you to modify, annotate, or rearrange scanned pages before saving the final file.This makes it easy to create multi-page documents or correct small errors on the fly.

Editing and organizing digitized documents

After capturing one or more documents, Microsoft Lens offers very intuitive editing options that make the difference compared to other apps scanningAmong them, the following stand out:

  • Adjust the cropping area to focus on what's really important, eliminating unwanted margins or funds.
  • Apply image filters to improve readabilityFor example, you can convert the document to black and white, enhance contrast, or adjust colors for handwritten text.
  • Rotate or delete pages if the screenshot came out crooked or includes unnecessary content.
  • Annotate the document using the digital pen or keyboard to add comments, highlights, or clarifications..
  • Rearrange the page order in multi-page documents by dragging thumbnails.

Once edited, You can save the final work in different ways: in your mobile gallery, in the cloud (OneDrive or OneNote), as a PDF file, or as an editable Word or PowerPoint document, depending on what suits you best.

Another advanced functionality is the possibility of editing PDF files existing ones created with LensYou can add new pages, delete or reorder existing ones, and save the updated result without leaving the app.

Text recognition and extraction (OCR) with Microsoft Lens

One of the most powerful aspects of Microsoft Lens is its optical character recognition (OCR) engine, which allows you to extract text from any scanned document, whether printed or handwritten.This feature is essential for reusing information, creating editable files, and sharing content without the need for manual transcription.

How Does It Work?

  • Enter Actions mode and select the Text function.
  • Point the camera at the document or book whose text you want to extract and take the photograph.
  • Adjust with the edges which part of the image contains the relevant text and click continue.
  • In a matter of seconds, Lens processes the image and shows you the digitized text on the screen..
  • You can copy the text to clipboard of your mobile to paste it into other applications like Word, Notes, Messages, or even share it via email, WhatsApp the Telegram.
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This feature is perfect for digitizing books, notes, reports, recipes or any printed material where you need to quickly reuse content.. In addition, it supports a wide variety of languages, including German, English, Spanish, Chinese, and many more.

Business card scanning and contact management

Microsoft Lens is not only useful for paper documents, but is especially effective when scanning business cards.If you tend to receive a lot of emails at meetings, conferences, or other professional events, you'll know how easy it is to lose them or not have time to transfer them to your phone's address book.

With business card modeSimply point the card at the desired location and take a photo. The app will automatically extract the information (name, phone number, email, company, etc.) and allow you to save it as a new contact on your phone or in OneNote. This way, you'll always keep your contact network up-to-date, organized, and protected from loss.

This feature supports cards in multiple languages ​​and is especially useful for professionals who attend events or manage databases Of customers.

Capture and digitization of whiteboards and handwritten notes

If you've ever been in a meeting, class, or brainstorming session, you've probably ended up with a whiteboard full of ideas, diagrams, or equations.Microsoft Lens incorporates a specific mode for capturing whiteboards or shiny surfaces, adjusting the brightness and colors so that notes and drawings are perfectly legible even if they were written with a marker on reflective backgrounds.

Once digitized, these images can be easily edited, annotated, and shared., allowing ideas to stay organized and teams to continue working on them from anywhere, anytime. They can also be integrated directly into presentations or collaborative documents.

Recognition and digitization of tables and structured information

Another of Lens's smart features is its ability to recognize printed tables and extract them as editable data.This is useful in academic and professional settings when you need to digitize schedules, lists, results, budgets, or any information organized in rows and columns.

After capturing the image in Table mode, The application detects the structure and allows you to copy or share the resulting table, with the option to export it to Excel or other data management tools..

This saves considerable time and eliminates errors that often occur when transcribing data manually.

Reading aloud and accessibility

Lens is designed to be an accessible tool for everyoneOne of its most interesting modes is Reading, which uses the immersive reader feature to read the captured text aloud. This option is very helpful for people with visual or reading difficulties, and is also useful for reviewing long texts while doing other tasks.

Reading aloud is complemented by customization options such as changing the size, font, or spacing of the text, which improves the user experience.

In addition, the application can be integrated with the accessibility features of the Android or iOS operating system., allowing control via Bluetooth keyboard or USB and supporting technologies like TalkBack.

QR code scanning

The QR code scanning feature in Lens is one of the most useful for everyday life.Whether you're accessing digital menus, downloading apps, or sharing links without typing, simply select QR Code mode and focus on the code. The app automatically scans it and allows you to copy or share the information with any other app installed on your device.

Integration with Office, OneDrive, OneNote, and cloud storage

Microsoft Lens's saving and integration capabilities with other Microsoft apps and services are one of its strong points.Once your document is scanned and edited, you can automatically save it to:

  • OneNote: to archive, search and organize notes or digitized information along with your other notes.
  • OneDrive: to have all your documents synchronized in the cloud and access them from any device.
  • Word or PowerPoint: converting scanned documents into fully editable files, ready for collaborative work or presentations.
  • PDF: to easily share documents that maintain their original format or that require archiving without losing their structure.
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When you save to Word or PowerPoint, OCR detects not only the text but also the layout and structure of the document, allowing you to edit it as if you had created it yourself from scratch.Files are typically stored in the OneDrive Documents folder, making them easy to manage and access from anywhere.

The PDF format is especially useful for sending reports, contracts, or documents that need to be digitally signed or printed without modifying the content.

Languages, support and technical assistance

Microsoft Lens's optical character recognition supports a wide variety of languages, making it useful in both personal, educational and business contexts.Supported languages ​​for printed text include Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and many more.

For handwritten text recognition, the app excels primarily in English.. While for business cards, the supported languages ​​are German, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and English.

In case of doubts or technical problems, Official Microsoft Lens support is easily accessible via email and from the app's own help center.Additionally, the user community often shares tips and solutions on forums and specialized websites.

Tips and tricks to get the most out of Office Lens

To help you get the most out of Microsoft Lens, here is a selection of practical tips and recommendations:

  • Prepare the surface before scanningMake sure the document is well lit and free of wrinkles. A flat, well-lit surface improves scan quality.
  • Use the appropriate mode according to the type of document: This way you'll get the best results and save time on post-editing.
  • Always check the edges before saving. Manually adjust if auto-detection isn't perfect.
  • Save to the cloud whenever you can: This way you will have backup and immediate access from other devices.
  • Check the app permissions to allow storage and camera access. If you have problems, try updating the app or restarting your phone.
  • Explore advanced modes like reading aloud or extracting tables for specific tasks.
  • Integrate Lens into your OneNote and OneDrive workflows to automate file organization..

Thanks to its simplicity, versatility and the power of text and structure recognition, Microsoft Lens has established itself as one of the essential apps for students, professionals and anyone who wants to keep their documents organized and always at hand.Whatever your goal, its range of features covers both basic and advanced needs, facilitating the transition to the digital world and taking advantage of all the information around you.

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