How to Scan a Business Card into Contacts on iPhone
Last updated 2026-10-29
Business cards tend to vanish into wallets right when you need to call someone back. When Paperkeep scans a card it files it as a business card and can open a new-contact screen pre-filled with what it read. You check the details and save it yourself, at no charge.
First, with iOS's built-in tools
- The basic route is the Contacts app: tap “+” and type the name and number while looking at the card.
- On supported iPhones, pointing the Camera at the card and touching and holding a phone number or email can offer to add it to a contact.
- Either way you handle one field at a time, and no image of the card is kept.
With Paperkeep
- Tap “Scan” and center the card in the frame. For a two-sided card, capture the back too, then tap “Save”.
- The “Photo” filter keeps logos and colors on the “New Scan” screen. Tap “Save” when it looks right.
- Open the card: its type shows as “Business card” and an “Add to Contacts” button appears. If Paperkeep filed it as something else, pick “Business card” under “Type” and the button shows up.
- Tap “Add to Contacts” to open a new contact pre-filled with the name, company, job title, phone, email and more. Correct any field, then tap “Done”.
Tips for this document
- A white card on a white desk is hard to edge-detect; set it on something darker.
- Cards with unusual layouts can put the title in the name field, so read each field before saving.
- The scanned image stays in Paperkeep under “Smart Folders” → “Business Cards”, so a note you scribbled on the back is still there later.
Coming soon to the App Store.