Microsoft Lens alternatives for iPhone, free and paid
Microsoft Lens stopped making new scans on 9 March 2026. If you still have it installed you can open old scans, and that is all. This page covers what replaced it on iPhone, which alternatives are free, and which ones do more than hand you a PDF.
What replaced Microsoft Lens?
Microsoft's own answer is the scanner built into OneDrive, behind the plus button. Its retirement notice gives the timeline: removed from the App Store on 9 February 2026, scanning off on 9 March. The Microsoft 365 Copilot app also scans.
The catch most people hit is that OneDrive saves to OneDrive. There is no local-only option, which BleepingComputer and Neowin both flagged when the retirement was announced, and TechRadar noted the app had a five-star reputation it was losing.
Free Microsoft Lens alternatives for iPhone
| App | What it does | Cost | Where files go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Notes | Scan Documents for a PDF, Scan Text for editable words | Free, already installed | Into a note, on the device |
| OneDrive | Microsoft's named replacement, scanning behind the plus button | Free with a Microsoft account | OneDrive only, no local save |
| Google Drive | Scan to PDF, with text recognition run on upload | Free with a Google account | Google Drive |
| Polishr | Reads the page and returns the words, not a picture of them | Free to start, then $9.99 a month | Collections you name, in the app |
For a free, local, no-account swap, Apple Notes is the closest thing to old Lens. Use OneDrive if your files already live there, and Polishr if what you wanted off the page was the text.
Scanner apps without a watermark
The other app people leave is CamScanner, usually over watermarks and ads. None of these turn handwriting into text on their own, which is the question behind whether ChatGPT can read handwriting. These four add neither.
| App | What it does | Cost | Watermark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Scan | Edge detection, deskewing, shadow removal, a searchable text layer | Free tier, paid upgrade | None |
| Genius Scan | Fast scanning, no account needed, files kept on the phone | Free tier, paid upgrade | None |
| Scanner Pro | Scanning with text recognition and automatic filing | Paid | None |
| Polishr | Returns editable text in nine shapes instead of a document file | Free to start, then $9.99 a month | None |
For receipts, forms and anything that should stay a document, Adobe Scan and Genius Scan are free and do it well, and Scanner Pro is worth paying for if you scan every day. Polishr is the wrong tool for a receipt and the right one for a page of writing.
Apps that convert handwritten notes to text
If the pages you are scanning are decades old rather than last week's, the handling matters as much as the app, and The best way to digitize old letters covers that side. Document scanners are built for printed pages. Handwriting, especially joined-up handwriting, is a different problem, and these four are the ones that treat it as one.
| App | What it does | Cost | Joined-up writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polishr | Photo in, structured notes out, then changed in plain words: shorter, as a table, in Spanish | Free to start, then $9.99 a month | Built for it |
| Pen to Print | Handwriting to plain text, and nothing after that | Free tier, paid upgrade | Built for it |
| Transkribus | Reads old and faded hands, and can be trained on one person's writing | Free credits, then paid | The strongest here |
| ChatGPT | Reads a photo of a page and rewrites it in the same step | Free tier, paid upgrade | Usually handles it |
For old, faded or awkward handwriting, Transkribus is the one to use and nothing else is close. For a raw transcription you will tidy yourself, Pen to Print is cheaper. For a page you want back as notes, bullets or flashcards, Polishr goes a step further than ChatGPT, which leaves the result in a chat thread.
Common questions
What replaced Microsoft Lens?
Microsoft points to the scanner inside OneDrive, and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app scans too. Both save to the cloud rather than the phone.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Lens on iPhone?
Yes. Apple Notes scans and extracts text, costs nothing and needs no account. Google Drive runs text recognition on what you upload.
Can I still use Microsoft Lens?
Only to open old scans, and only if the app is still installed and you are signed into the account you last used. New scans stopped on 9 March 2026, per Microsoft's retirement notice.
What is the best app to convert handwritten notes to text on iPhone?
Transkribus for difficult handwriting, Pen to Print for a plain transcription, and Polishr if you want the page back as notes, bullets, a table or flashcards. More on this in six ways to scan handwriting to text on iPhone.
Can ChatGPT read handwriting?
It can, and it is good at it. Where it stops is covered in what OpenAI's own limits say.
Handwriting to notes
Stop retyping your notes.
Polishr reads your handwriting and hands it back as clean notes, bullet points, a table, action items or flashcards. Then you change it in plain words: shorter, less formal, as a table.
Try Polishr freeiPhone. Free to start, then $9.99/month or $99.99/year.
Related reading
Sources and notes. Retirement dates and the OneDrive recommendation come from Microsoft's Retirement of Microsoft Lens. Coverage of the shutdown and the cloud-only caveat: BleepingComputer, Neowin, TechRadar and Thurrott. Apple's scanning behaviour is from Scan text and documents in Notes using the iPhone camera. Prices are given as a tier where they vary by region, and all of them change often. Nothing here was independently benchmarked.