One billion scans. Every year.

A thank-you letter.

When we started developing Genius Scan in a dorm room in Champaign, Illinois, little did we know that 16 years later, we’d still be working on it, now from France, and that people all over the world would be using it.

We’ve kept working to build a great app with a human touch, something we’re determined to keep in the age of AI. Along the way, we’ve often been moved by users who reached out through support or reviews to tell us how important their documents were, how useful Genius Scan was, and how it had made their lives better.

An astronaut bear scans a tall stack of paper above Earth.
A billion A4 sheets lined up end to end, each 29.7 cm tall, would reach 297,000 km, about 77% of the way to the Moon.

A parent sending medical documents faster to help a loved one. Parents sharing notes from a school meeting with those who couldn’t attend. A student sending homework just before the deadline and saving their degree. Small moments, sometimes with a lot at stake.

So when we realised that our users had scanned more than a billion pages over the past 12 months, we thought we ought to celebrate with them. We asked them to share their stories. Here are a few.

Thank you for making Genius Scan part of your lives, and for giving us the opportunity to work every day on something that helps people. To the next billion, with the same care.

Guillaume, Bruno and the team at The Grizzly Labs

Genius Scan around the world

Each highlighted dot is a place someone shared a story from. Select one to read it.

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Human Moments

The stories behind the scans.

Genius Scan users share what they scan and why it matters to them.

Small business

Sending invoices and reports on the go

“My experience started as a tool for a company I began to work for. While I didn’t work for them for a long time I’m thankful that I came across this app as it’s helped me retain documents and be able to use them later quickly. It helps provide me the ability to scan invoices and reports on the go and send them where they need to go in order to keep my business going. The free tier is generous too!”

Education

Sending school paperwork from a teacher’s desk

“I’m a teacher and learned about Genius Scan five years ago. I can scan and email transcripts, waivers and all other needed documents to different schools without having to get up from my desk to find a scanner. I can also scan my lesson plans to upload into our Oncourse system.”

Work

Making copies while visiting clients’ homes

“This app is one that really works, easy-to-use and beats a copy! I have been in a lot of houses and needed to make copies remembering the app asking the client if they were ok with me using Genius Scan app”

Education

Making handouts accessible for students

“I teach students with vision impairment and genius scan helps me quickly scan hardcopy docs into digital copies and make them accessible! Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx”

Education

Proof of the assignment left at home

“Have used genius scan a lot for turning in assignments and also helped me prove at points that I did do a assignment if I forgot to bring the physical paper”

Work

A backup for a broken office scanner

“I used it at my previous job because the office scanner wasn't working then. It was very helpful. Now, I use it for personal use, and it is very helpful”

Keeping records

Paperwork at an eco village

Video testimonial from Andrew
View transcript

Hi, I’m Andrew. I’m the co-founder of Maleny Eco Village. I get to live in a bit of a paradise here, along with people who live in the community. And unfortunately, we have to do paperwork, and it’s made so much easier with Genius Scan.

I found it years and years ago. Take photos, scans it, uploads it into Dropbox straight away for the auditor and so forth. Very, very easy, very cool. Definitely recommend it. A billion downloads. Well done. Thank you.

Education

Getting lab assignments submitted

“So, I was struggling in my college class on scanning my lab assignments. It was required that we scan and upload it to submit our completed work. I was struggling with Adobe and it made me and my teachers frustrated with this program, especially that you need a subscription in order for me to progress in school... The. The teacher asked this student in the room how did they do theirs, and he said he uses Genius Scan and it's free. That have saved my life for the next 2.5 years of my program and it is so effective on getting the bare minimum of what I needed done. I will still use it after I graduate for future use. This may never be uninstalled from my phone!”

Small business

From carbon copies to invoices by email

“I switched from CARBON PAPER to GENIUS SCAN! We have a small electrical construction company, and invoices at the job site were done on paper, with a carbon paper copy. Now my kids ask me what carbon paper is! Seeking for a way to send invoices to my computer, a carpenter told me about Genius Scan. And wahlah! I neatly write out, 1 paper invoice, and send it via Genius Scan to my email!. It is not a lot of use, so I don't want a monthly pay app, but I sure wish you would provide a way to send tips. I would gladly send a few dollars just to show my appreciation for your Fantastic app!”

Health

Sorting paperwork after a stroke

“My son introduced me to GeniusScan when we were handling stacks of documents after his partner had a stroke. It simplified the process immensely! I use it often and have never been disappointed. When I use it for friends I always suggest they download it too.”

Education

Sharing forgotten workbooks with other parents

“Do you have kids who go to school? As all kids they forget their workbooks or exercises… but so do their classmates. Then you know the situation: you get a text message from other parents and there you are: scanning books and exercises… I love genius scan because I can share it as pdf in the right paper format….”

Family

More time with a newborn daughter

“Genius scan was the savior in dealing with German bureaucracy after the birth of my daugther. Hense I was able to enjoy the first weeks of her life even more.”

Family

Keeping family ID paperwork handy

“Hey im here! With Genius Scan!!! Always using this amazing app. Yes! When i need a paper for special id for me and my family, i know i have a very good app.”

Keeping records

Feeling lighter knowing where everything is

“It helps me have my peace and mind in my head when i scan everything and have in the app… i am 100 kg lighter when i know where everything is and not worrying so much. I can say last 10 years of my life is in 1 app.”

Personal stories

An app recommendation that stuck

“Conocí Genius por un vídeo de recomendaciones aplicaciones. Lo instalé y desde entonces no he vuelto a buscar otra opción para scanear documentos, ya que con Genius tengo todo lo que necesito de forma fácil y ágil.”

Education

A scanner for school that stayed after graduation

“Started using it for school since i didnt have a scanner available, thought i would never use it again after graduating, but it Genius Scan has proved time and time again it is useful everyday in my line of work!”

Keeping records

Combining scans and files for expenses

“I love this app for doing my expenses it makes combining pdfs very easy to do. The fact that you can scan, add photos or files into a merged pdf format helps me and my accounting tremendously!”

Keeping records

An old scan that helped win a ten-year case

“Genius Scan helped me win a 10 year case. Just today a file I scanned years ago helped me win a case against a non paying tenant in court. It was showing a fact that they were trying to manipulate. If I had not scanned a clear copy with Genius Scan, I would have lost the case and the tenant would occupy the premises for another 10 years. Thank you Genius Scan!”

Keeping records

Preserving family history for a son

“Há muitos anos, revirando as fotos na casa da avó e da mãe, encontrei diversas fotos e documentos históricos da família. Vendo que muitos já não se encontraram em bom estado, pensei que a história estaria com os dias contados. Ao conhecer o Genius Scan uma alegria tomou conta do momento. Sendo convertida, após muitos anos, em sorrisos, quando mostro ao meu filho um passado de arquivos, muito bem guardados. Hoje, é ferramenta fundamental para meu trabalho e essencial para a vida. Super recomendo.”

Keeping records

From a friend’s tip to a personal archive

“Recommended by a friend originally and taken very sceptically, now Genius Scan is the tool I use every day, from scanning documents to sharing and my little personal archive, Genius Scan is a huge asset. Thank you.”

Personal stories

A scanner on hand since 2013

“I have been a Genius scan user since 2013, and since that I aleas recomend this app to scan evry kind of doc, it's very easy and accurate and very quik to share this. It's like yo have a personal scaner ready for your day.”

Work

When the phone line went digital

“Customer told me about Genius Scan and I have been using it ever since my telephone line went digital and I could no longer fax. You do remember faxes, right?”

Work

Send documents right away

Video testimonial from Mr K.
View transcript

I do really enjoy using Genius Scan. It’s really helped me with a lot of documents and just the likeliness of being able to email or fax, sending things right away that need to be done. It’s way easier than Adobe and some other programs out there. Thank you.

Work

A contractor’s recommendation that stuck

“A contractor at my last job introduced me to genius scan in 2015(?). I immediately downloaded and started scanning.

It has been a lifesaver to be able to quickly scan almost anything and have a searchable pdf that will sync with my other files.

I scan everything now. It is faster and cleaner than the flatbed scanner in my office.”

Read all the stories

Give Genius Scan a try.

If you haven’t tried Genius Scan yet, we’d love for you to give it a go. We hope it makes your everyday paperwork a little easier.

© 2026 The Grizzly Labs. All rights reserved.