A dedicated scanning app is worth using because it automatically detects the print’s edges, corrects the angle, and reduces glare in ways your regular camera app does not, for only a little more effort.
Who a dedicated scanning app suits
- A dedicated scanning app suits you if: you are digitising more than a handful of prints and want consistently well-cropped, straight results without much manual cleanup afterwards.
- Your regular camera app is fine if: you are only digitising one or two photos and do not mind manually cropping and straightening them afterwards in an editing app.
What a scanning app actually does
- Scanning apps (like Google’s PhotoScan) typically take several quick shots from slightly different angles and combine them to reduce glare and glass reflection, which a single regular photo cannot do.
- A scanning app usually detects the photo’s edges automatically and crops to just the print, saving you the straightening and cropping step covered in Fix a photo scanned at an angle.
- Regular camera apps capture more raw detail in a single shot with no processing, which can actually be an advantage if you plan to do detailed manual editing afterwards.
- Scanning apps are free and quick to try, so there is little downside to testing one on a handful of photos before deciding which approach suits your whole collection.
Questions to ask about your batch
- How many photos are you planning to digitise — a handful, or a large collection where consistency matters more?
- Do your prints have any glare-prone surfaces (glossy paper, behind glass) where a scanning app’s glare reduction would help most?
- Are you comfortable doing manual cropping and straightening afterwards if you skip a dedicated scanning app?
A way to test both
If you are not sure, try both approaches on the same photo and compare — the difference in glare and cropping accuracy is usually obvious once you see them side by side.
Next step
What resolution should you scan a photo at for printing later? is a useful follow-up if you decide to scan a larger collection.
Sources and date checked
Google’s PhotoScan documentation (where still available) and general scanning-app guidance. Checked 22 September 2026.