Scan a paper list (iPhone)
On iPhone, tap + on My Lists and choose Scan a list to create it, or tap ⋯ → Scan a list inside a list. Take or choose a photo, untick or fix any lines, and they become items.
A list on paper, a whiteboard or a printed page can become a NellyList list in seconds. Your iPhone reads the photo itself, handwriting included, and each line becomes an item. You can untick or fix any line before anything is added.
Scan to make a new list
- On My Lists, tap +, then Scan a list to create it.
- Take a photo, or choose one you've already taken.
- After Reading your list…, you'll see every line it found, all ticked. Untick anything you don't want, and tap a line to fix a misread.
- Tap Continue with 8 lines (it shows your count).
- The Create New List form opens with the lines waiting and, if the page had a heading written bigger than the rest, that heading as the name. Pick the type, wording, label, icon and color, then tap Create List.
Scan into a list you already have
Open the list, then either:
- tap ⋯ → Scan a list, or
- tap the + beside the add field and choose Scan a list.
Take or choose the photo, check the lines the same way, and tap Add 8 items (or whatever the list calls them). If it grabbed too much, Undo is there right after.
What it tidies for you
- Bullets, checkbox marks and numbering are stripped, so "☐ 1. Milk" comes in as "Milk".
- Each item starts with a capital letter.
- A line that repeats, or that's already on the list you're scanning into, is left out.
- A crossed-out item still reads as text to the camera, so it arrives ticked like the rest. Untick it in the preview.
Otherwise nothing is reworded, and the lines come in from the top of the page down.
Private and free
The photo is read on your iPhone and never uploaded. Scanning doesn't use Nelly or your Nelly allowance, so scan as often as you like.
Tips for a clean scan
- Shoot straight on, in good light, with the whole list in the frame.
- One list per photo works best. A page with notes around the edges brings those lines in too, and you'll need to untick them.
- If it says No text found, tap Try another photo.
FAQ
Can it read my handwriting?
Usually, yes. Neat printing reads best. Anything it gets wrong, tap in the preview to correct before you add it.
Why don't I see Scan a list in the menu?
You're on the web, the list is archived, or it's a Live List whose owner has switched off adding for members (see Locked Lists). Scanning appears wherever you can add items in the iPhone app.
Can I scan a list that has more than one column?
Lines are read from the top of the page down, so a single column scans most cleanly. With two columns, check the preview and untick or fix anything that came out in the wrong place.