The pandemic brought on by COVID-19 demands we improvise in our lives.

Not long ago, buyers and sellers would go to the office of the title company to sign closing documents, and often sit across from one another at the conference table, joined by real estate agents and settlement attorneys. Now title companies are facilitating as much of the process through digital channels as they can in an effort to maintain safe social distancing practices.

This includes signing documents through secure online platforms as well as wet ink signing documents and then scanning and sending digital copies via encrypted email or fax.

How can you scan your closing documents when you don’t have a scanner?

If you’re an Android user, you’re probably also using apps like Google Drive and Google Keep. Either of these apps will allow you to scan closing documents to your mobile device so you can return them to the title company via encrypted email or fax.

This article from Computer World, The Simple Way to Scan Documents with Your Android Phone, describes scanning methods for Google Drive and Google Keep.

If you’re an iPhone user, you have a scanner built into the Notes app. Just tap to add a new note and then tap the camera icon and tap “scan documents.”

This article from Apple Support, How to Scan Documents on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch using Notes App, describes the scanning feature in detail.

You can also explore iPhone’s App Store and Google Play to discover third-party apps that have scanning capabilities. You’re no longer bound to a traditional office scanner. Start scanning closing documents and delivering them securely from your mobile device.

As a best practice, be sure to mail the hard copy of your closing documents to your title company once you’ve securely delivered a clean digital copy.