How to Scan on Chromebook

If you're trying to figure out how to scan on Chromebook, you've probably realized it isn't as simple as using another web app. Fortunately, you can scan any document on Chromebook using HP's Embedded Web Server (EWS), the printer's scan-to-web service, or your mobile device and Google Drive.

How to Scan on Chromebook Using EWS

One of the most common printers in the market today is Hewlett Packard. This is good, because most HP Printers include a feature called Embedded Web Server (EWS).

A Chromebook on a table displaying scanning software. — Unsplash

This feature lets you access the printer's embedded web server by typing the printer's IP address on your local network into the web browser on your Chromebook. This makes scanning extremely easy.

Before you can use EWS on your Chromebook, you'll need to find your printer's IP address. The easiest way to do this is from the built-in menu on the printer, under Preferences > Options > Wireless Settings (if it's a wireless printer). You may also see a View Wireless Details option to view the IP address.

The menu path to find Wireless Settings may be slighly different depending on your printer model.
Once you have the IP address of your HP printer, launch Google Chrome on your Chromebook and type that IP address into the URL address field. You'll see the main menu for your printer.
Select the Scan tab. Under Webscan, if you've never used this feature before, you will likely see an error message that the feature has been disabled.
If this is the case, select the Settings tab. Then, in the left menu under Security, select Administrator Settings. Select the checkbox to enable the Webscan feature. Select Apply when you're done.
Now, when you return to the Scan tab, you'll see the scan settings where you can adjust the output document type, resolution, quality, and other settings. Select Start Scan to have your printer scan the document you've placed on the scanner bed.
This will open a new tab in your browser where you'll see the image of the scan appear. When the scan is finished, you can right-click the image and select Save image as to save it to your Chromebook or Google Drive account.
You can repeat this process as many times as you like to scan additional documents or photos.

How to Scan on Chromebook With Scan to Cloud

If you don't own an HP printer, there are still a couple of options available to scan on Chromebook.

For example, many Epson printers come with a Scan to Cloud feature. To use this, you'll need to visit the Epson Connect web page to create a new account. Once you're signed in, select Scan to Cloud > Destination List > Add and choose the cloud service (such as Google Drive) where you want to save your scans to the cloud.

Once you're done, you just need to select the Scan to Cloud setting on your Epson control panel to initiate a scan and send it to your preferred cloud service. Once the scan is done, you can access the cloud service with your Chromebook to retrieve the scanned document.

If you're looking to print from anywhere with your Chromebook, a great option is Google Cloud Print. While this service doesn't include a scanning feature, it's an easy way to print to your printer at home over the internet no matter where you are.

Scan to Cloud With Your Mobile Device

Another great workaround to scan documents to your Chromebook is by using your mobile device to scan rather than a printer.

There are many great apps you can install on your mobile to scan documents, but you don't have to. If you have iOS 11, there's a new scanning feature in the Notes app. On Android, you can scan using the Google Drive app.

This is usually as easy as opening the app and tapping Scan.

Most of these apps automatically trim any extra space around the scan (captured using your mobile phone's camera). You can then save it as a PDF file on your cloud storage account. Some apps also include saving to other file formats.