When you apply for life insurance, you’ll have to send certain documents to insurance companies, such as copies of your passport, visas, and sometimes bank statements. You may also have to sign forms that insurance companies send to you.
If you’re working with a broker at Policygenius to get coverage, you can digitally scan these documents and send them to us, avoiding the hassle of mailing or faxing them. If you have a smartphone, scanning documents might be easier than you expect.
What to do before you scan documents
Before you actually start scanning your documents, there are a few things you should do:
Sign the documents. Double-check that you signed every part of the documents that asks for your signature or initials.
Tag any errors you find. If for any reason a document has an error, don’t scratch it out. Instead, date the error and initial before scanning it.
Find a good spot to scan the document. Try to find somewhere that’s well-lit and contrasts with the color of the document — if it’s on white paper, go for a dark wooden table instead of your white kitchen counter.
How to scan legal documents with an Android phone
Newer Android phones already come with scanners, which you can use in the Google Drive app (this app is likely pre-installed on your phone).
Open the Google Drive app on your phone and select the camera icon.
Point the phone at the document you want to scan and make sure all of it appears in the blue margins.
Your phone will automatically scan the document unless you decide to snap a photo of it yourself using the manual scanning option.
Crop or adjust the image so that it’s clear to read.
Click “Done” to save your finished scans, then create a file name so you can find it.
You can now share the image by sending it in an email to team@policygenius.com.
How to scan legal documents with an iPhone
Newer models of the iPhone also come with scanners, which you can use in the Notes app.
Create a new note in the Notes app.
Tap the camera icon and then Scan Document
Hold your phone over the entire document until a yellow box forms over it — the app will scan automatically, or you may have to hit the capture button like you would when taking a regular photo.
Once you’ve scanned all documents, you can adjust the coloring or crop the image so that it appears clearest.
Click “Save.”
You can now email the image to team@policygenius.com.
How to scan legal documents with Scanbot
If your phone doesn’t already have a scanner, we recommend using Scanbot to capture and send images of your documents. Here’s how to use it:
Download Scanbot.
When you first open the app, it will ask you if you want to upgrade, but the free version works fine.
Tap the “+” symbol to start a new scan. The app will focus and give directions (“move closer”) and then take a scan on its own after a few moments.
Tap the “Scan” button on the bottom left corner to scan more pages.
Once you’ve scanned all the pages, click “Save” in the top right corner to return to the home screen.
Send the image by clicking on the document on the home screen, then click “Send to” in the bottom right corner.
When the window pops up, click “Share,” which will then let you select the app you use for email. From there, it will open a new email with the document already attached. If you’re emailing documents to us at Policygenius, you can send them to team@policygenius.com.
