Scannable closeup not working on iPhone 14 pro max

[ali.rizvi 1]

The scannable app is not using the closeup lens on the new iPhone 14 pro max. I did not have this issue with the 13 pro max. The image quality is absolutely pathetic and you cannot make out any text.

[agsteele 2,946]

Scannable hasn't been updated and, I suspect, isn't likely to get an update anytime soon. A new phone with new function is unlikely to be well supported.

I'd advise a different scanning application that does what you need. @PinkElephant is likely to be able to recommend something.

[PinkElephant 8,103]

If scanning quality of Scannable is not to your liking, I have a deal for you: We swap iPhones. You get my iPhone 11 Pro Max, and I your 14 Pro Max. I can assure you that image quality is excellent, although it does not make use of the telephoto lens neither.

It is a know problem of many 3rd party apps with iOS 16 and iPhone 14. Call it toothing problems.

Since Scannable only gets an update here and then, and they are bare minimum updates, I have not much hope that the app will get a real lift ever any more.

Alternatives: For just a fast snap I use the build in Scanner of the EN app. Only creates single page PNGs, only uses the standard lens, but it is a fast way to quickly grab and forget something.

More elaborate is ScannerPro by readdle, with a camera Switcher among many other features. I play sometimes with QuickScan, which is free (with donations) and has some nice features not found in many free apps - but no lens switcher.

[Schooner 26]

iPhone 14 Pro Max long focal minimum and inaccessibility of auto-macro mode to 3rd party apps is a major disappointment and, yes, botches a key workflow.  Especially annoying with small docs e.g. business cards, receipts and the like.  There are painful workarounds using the native camera itself (pic/copy/save/print to pdf/copy to cloud/copy to EN) but they won't auto-snap, auto-trim, correct parallax, etc.  Suddenly one appreciates all Scannable was doing!

The best workaround I've found is ScannerPro - while I cannot locate a "camera switcher" referenced by PinkElephant, it does have the option to scan from gallery.  This is a big deal because the native camera app DOES auto-macro (if so selected in Settings).  The import can be parallax'd, cropped, edited etc. from within ScannerPro.  It's worth it.

Have filed a support request to extend Scannable/EN function to iPhone 14 Pro Max but we may be waiting for a correction from Apple themselves if the auto-macro is in fact inaccessible to 3rd party developers; at least I might persuade them to add "scan from gallery" option.

 

/Schooner

[PinkElephant 8,103]

Cam switcher 

[Schooner 26]

Yes - zoom is selectable - but fails to include option for curative macro (wide-angle) lens.

/Schooner

[PinkElephant 8,103]

You want Macro mode, not a camera switcher.

Makes in my opinion no sense at all - you will cast a shadow with your own phone trying to scan anything from that close. A scanner is a scanner, not a camera app replacement.

You can always launch the camera app, with all bells and whistles, and send the resulting foto everywhere. No need for a scanner.

[Schooner 26]

Precisely - the "macro mode" requires the wide angle lens in iPhone 14pm.  Don't know why it "makes no sense" to you, iPhone scanners including Scannable routinely operate at macro distance (and in any case have auto-shadow-removal) when implemented on earlier iPhones. 

Yes the native camera will auto-macro small docs just fine - the point of a "scanner" app is to do so in compressed PDF form with other bells & whistles including parallax correction, edge recognition & auto-trim, and OCR.  One doesn't want an iPhone14's massive HEICs for transmitting/storing docs!

 

/Schooner

[PinkElephant 8,103]

For me the best option for smaller docs is the 2x lens, not Macro which takes the phone a few cm above the document.

The lend is sharp enough to catch all details even when cutting away at the edges. And the phone won’t cast a shadow on the doc when using the Tele.

Beside this: The last real feature release 2.0 of Scannable happened 7 years ago (seven !). We had iPhone 6S back then, sporting a single lens, on the 6S+ with a stabilizer for the first time ever. Since then they are „correcting errors“ or added the ability to use Scannable with a Business/Teams account.

I doubt there is anybody left understanding and able to modify Scannables outdated code base. Using modern camera SDKs is as far away as the moon.

Just my 5ct …