I used the notes app to scan documents all the time. The pdf generated would normally be kilobytes, occasionally get into a mb or two. Ever since I updated to iOS 18, the files are huge, 40,50,60 mb or more. Even when I compress the file it’s still 5-10mb. Any idea why these scans are suddenly huge and what can I do to get it back to what it was?
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iPhone 15 Pro Max, iOS 18
After a lengthy discussion with Apple support, I have found the fix for Notes scans producing unusable large PDFs in iOS 18:
Using this simple setting change turned a single black and white scanned page from 5.1Mb to 973k.
When scanning multiple pages as I am doing, this will allow for easy email attachment or compression that is effective or both.
I requested that apple release official guidance on this issue but for now…the directions are here.
Before the update scans used to be around 500-900kb quality great; after updating greyscale is now 2-5mb and quality is rubbish, so changing to greyscale doesn’t work.
Does anyone who can actually fix this problem read this user feedback or is this a waste of time?
It’s not email that’s the problem. When I saved scans to files before iOS 18, they were never anywhere near this large. If you do scan documents from files instead of notes, they’re automatically compressed and still 5-10mb for just a couple pages. Before it would be kb’s.
I believe this discussion is strictly speaking about the latest iOS tier, 18.x.x. What you are referring to is prior to this issue manifesting as there is no longer a paperclip in notes to use to attach files.
That said, I only make occasional phone scans, but they are almost always for work. I’m on iOS 18.2 and I have the same issues as the rest, but also having a problem where the image is made so large that the scan only catches part of the item to be scanned.
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Doesn’t resolve the issue. A single page scan is still 4-6 mb when it used to be kb before all this started happening. Using the feature in files just gives you the same size file as if you scanned from notes, saved to files, and optimized the size. All way larger than before.
Thanks, CaseyKgirl!!!
Wonderful solution you came up with! Cumbersome workaround, sure, and it'd be crazy to do in batches, but it works for me.
After all this time, you came up with a good solution. So much appreciated.
Still same issue
Before iOS 18, I always scanned in full color and never had this problem. The black and white doesn’t work well with handwritten notes, for some reason it doesn’t come through very well
Same. I use the Notes- Scan documents- all the time for work. I just updated my phone to ios18, and now the files are enormous. FIX THIS, APPLE!
Has anyone figured this out? I just updated to IOS 18 and use the scanner feature all the time for work. Now the document size is too large.
please help thanks!
I’m not following what you did, please provide steps how to alter the scan size, Thnks.
Thank you. Black and white does affect on handwriting doc., scattered. The grayscale is better but so light in contrast, wished its darker but it’s better than nothing.
Exactly the same for me, please fix this. I use the scan function all the time to email docs but now they’re so large you can’t!
Mine as well and it’s frustrating as I cannot send them out via emails. Help!
After you updated your IOS to 18 you have destroyed the NOTES App. It creates excessive file sizes which are unable to be emailed
Before the update scans used to be around 500-900kb quality great; after updating greyscale is now 2-5mb.
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Why are my document scans so large After iOS 18 update?
