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How to Send a Letter From Your Phone (iPhone and Android)

Scan a paper document to PDF on iPhone or Android, then upload it from your phone and have it printed and mailed First-Class.

Nathan Hazard·Founder, Postmarkr

Sources checked July 1, 2026

Key takeaways

  • You can send a physical letter using only a phone: scan or export the document as a PDF, upload it, add the addresses, and submit it for printing and mailing.
  • On iPhone, Notes and Files include document scanners. On Android, Google Drive and Files by Google can scan pages to PDF.
  • Check every page for clipped edges, glare, blur, rotation, and page order before uploading.
  • A one-page black-and-white Postmarkr letter is currently $2.05 all-in, with no subscription or minimum.
  • Use the required paper process when a recipient needs an original, notarization, or Certified Mail evidence.

There's a signed form on the table that has to be submitted today. You have no printer, no envelopes, no stamps, and the only computer you own is the phone in your hand.

Yes, you can. Here's how to send a letter from your phone: scan the paper into a PDF, upload it, enter the mailing address, and submit it for printing and First-Class mailing.

With Postmarkr, a one-page black-and-white letter is $2.05 all-in.

This walkthrough starts with a paper document. If your letter is already a PDF, skip straight to Step 2.

What you need before you start#

  • The paper document, or a PDF already saved on your phone
  • The recipient's complete U.S. mailing address
  • A return address
  • Your phone and an internet connection

Lay a paper document on a flat surface with even light. A dark surface behind white paper helps your phone find the page edges.

Check for shadows and glare before you scan. If the document has more than one page, add every page in the same scanning session so you create one PDF.

Step 1: Turn the paper into a PDF on your iPhone#

The built-in Notes app can scan a document without a separate scanner app.

  1. Open Notes and create a new note.
  2. Tap the Attachments button, then tap Scan Documents.
  3. Hold your iPhone over the first page. Notes can capture it automatically, or you can use the shutter button.
  4. Adjust the corners if the crop missed part of the page.
  5. Scan any remaining pages, then tap Done or Save, depending on your iOS version.
  6. Open the scan, tap Share, and save or share the PDF to the Files app.
The iPhone document scanner framing a signed agreement on a wooden table.
Keep the whole page inside the detected edges, then check the crop before saving.

Before moving on, open the PDF and swipe through every page. Make sure no signature, date, address, or line of text was cut off.

You can also scan directly in the Files app. Open the folder where you want the PDF, tap the menu button, choose Scan Documents, and save the finished scan there.

If the letter began in Pages, Word, Google Docs, or another writing app, use that app's share or export menu to create a PDF. The exact wording varies by app.

Step 2: Upload it, address it, and send it#

Once the PDF is on your phone, the rest happens in your mobile browser.

  1. Open Postmarkr's online letter sender.
  2. Upload the PDF you just saved.
  3. Enter the recipient and return addresses. Postmarkr checks addresses against USPS records before printing.
  4. Review the document, addresses, page count, and price.
  5. Pay and submit the letter.
Postmarkr's mobile upload step showing a one-page PDF ready to send.
Upload the PDF and confirm the green success state before moving to addresses.
Postmarkr's mobile address book showing a synthetic recipient marked Verified.
Saved addresses show their verification state before you reuse them.

A one-page black-and-white letter currently costs $2.05, including printing, the envelope, First-Class postage, and the address page. Each additional black-and-white page is $0.20.

There is no subscription or minimum. See current pricing before sending if your document has several pages or you need to confirm the latest rate.

Orders are processed the same day, printed the next business day, and mailed the business day after printing. USPS First-Class Mail typically takes 1–5 business days after mailing.

Your dashboard shows processing milestones. USPS scan updates appear when available, but carrier scans can be delayed or absent, so the dashboard is not the same as Certified Mail proof.

Postmarkr's mobile status page showing a letter confirmed and being prepared for printing.
After payment, the status record starts at Confirmed and advances as the letter is printed and mailed.

If a letter is returned as undeliverable, contact support to request a resend or refund.

Postmarkr currently sends to U.S. addresses only. See how the print-and-mail process works for the full timeline.

How to scan and send a letter on Android#

Google Drive has a built-in document scanner on Android.

  1. Open the Google Drive app.
  2. Tap the camera button in the lower-right corner.
  3. Hold the phone over the page and capture it.
  4. Check the crop, rotation, color, and cleanup controls.
  5. Add the remaining pages before you finish.
  6. Tap Done, choose PDF, name the file, and save it to Drive.
Google Drive on Android with the blue document-scanner camera button at lower right.
In current Google Drive for Android, start a scan with the camera button.
Google Drive's Save to Drive screen with PDF selected as the scan format.
Choose PDF before saving the finished multi-page scan.

Files by Google can also scan a document and save a searchable PDF on your phone. On a Samsung Galaxy, the Camera app may detect the document first; you can then save or export it as a PDF through Samsung Notes.

Once you have the PDF, use the same Postmarkr upload steps above. A letter that began in Google Docs or Word can usually be exported as a PDF from that app's share or download menu.

Check the PDF before you send it#

A document can open successfully and still print badly. Take one minute to check:

  • Every edge is visible. Look closely at signatures, dates, checkboxes, and text near the margins.
  • The pages are upright and in order. Rotate any sideways pages before uploading.
  • The text is sharp. If small print looks blurry on your screen, scan it again with steadier light.
  • Color is intentional. Use color only when it carries information; a document filter often makes ordinary text clearer.
  • The file is one PDF. Keep a multi-page letter together rather than uploading separate images.
  • The filename is useful. `Signed_Lease_Amendment_July_2026.pdf` is easier to recognize than `Scan_0042.pdf`.

If you also need the PDF's text to be selectable later, open it and try to select a word before you upload.

When your phone isn't the answer#

If you already have paper, an envelope, and a $0.82 stamp, handwriting a short personal note is cheaper than paying $2.05 here.

The online path earns its keep when the document is already typed, has several pages, or needs a visible processing record.

Do not scan and mail a copy when the recipient requires the original. Notarized documents, wet-ink originals, court filings, and agency forms can have their own rules.

Check the recipient's instructions for signatures, notarization, color, file size, and mailing method before you send anything time-sensitive.

If you need a USPS mailing receipt, tracking, or proof of a delivery attempt, read the Certified Mail guide. Postmarkr sends First-Class letters today; Certified Mail is coming soon.

The phone route is straightforward: scan the page, inspect the PDF, upload it, and confirm the addresses. Postmarkr handles the printing, envelope, postage, and mailing.

Upload a PDF from your phone when you're ready to send it.

ready

Related Topics

Procedures

  • How Does Certified Mail Work? The Life of a Letter

    Certified Mail doesn't change how your letter travels — it builds a record around the trip. The whole system, stage by stage: what USPS writes down, who can sign, and what you can prove at each point.