
About Microsoft Lens
Microsoft Lens (formerly Microsoft Office Lens) is an optical character recognition (OCR) solution designed to help businesses of all sizes capture and record information from images, documents, notes, whiteboards, business cards and more. It allows users to scan and create digital copy of any printed or written text, facilitating exchange of information across systems.
Key features of Microsoft Lens include data capture, review, editing and file sharing. Enterprises can utilize the system to convert images into PDF, Word and PowerPoint files and store them in local or cloud drives. Plus, it enables students to scan learning materials such as classroom handouts, notes & whiteboards, and upload them into OneNote or OneDrive for future reference.
Microsoft Lens allows sales teams to access details of networking contacts by scanning business cards in various languages including English, Spanish, German, and Simplified Chinese and save information directly into contact lists as well as OneNote. The solution helps users automatically recognize texts and navigate through content using search functionality.
Pricing starting from:
Not provided by vendor
- Free Version
- Free Trial
- Subscription
Top 5 alternatives to Microsoft Lens
Typical Customers
- Freelancers
- Small Businesses (2-50)
- Mid-size Companies (51-500)
- Large enterprises (500 and more)
Deployment
- Cloud-based
- On-premise
Supported Languages
Chinese, English, German, Spanish
Pricing starting from:
Not provided by vendor
- Free Version
- Free Trial
- Subscription
Top 5 alternatives to Microsoft Lens
Images



Features
Total features of Microsoft Lens: 21
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Reviews
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- Industry: E-Learning
- Company size: 10,000+ Employees
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
Scanning Made Easy with Office Lens
Reviewed on 05/11/2020
Microsoft Office Lens is a reliable tool that provides scanning services for free but with maximum...
Microsoft Office Lens is a reliable tool that provides scanning services for free but with maximum quality. On top of all these perks, it's just a click away from your smartphone. I use it during meetings when I don't have with me my laptop, or at moments when I need to take a super clear shot on any document such as memos, announcements, or even receipts at supermarkets or hardware stores which I could use as a proof of purchase or for reimbursements.
Thanks, Microsoft!
Pros
Microsoft Office Lens solves the day whenever a need for crystal-clear scanning of photos or documents arises. It's the go-to application when you're out and suddenly feel the need for a handy mobile scanner, realizing that it's an application in your smartphone.
The tool is easy-to-use although the walk-through tutorial upon installing it is of great help too. The buttons' functions are simple yet so powerful. I use it a lot in scanning documents and taking snapshots of words written on a whiteboard.
It's also a recommended software for taking random shots whose quality are at par with those of other top applications out in the market, or maybe better.
Cons
The scanning feature is one of the best and it's so reliable when used. If I may suggest though, the focusing task is sometimes a little annoying especially if the correct shape or outline is not easily met. But overall, it's best at what it does which is performing like an actual scanning machine.
- Industry: Telecommunications
- Company size: 10,000+ Employees
- Used Weekly for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10
Microsoft Lens Review
Reviewed on 04/03/2023
Pros
Microsoft Lens allows you to copy text from handwritten notes and also copy text and tables from pictures.This application allows you to digitize printed or handwritten text, convert photos to PDF, Word, Powerpoint and Excel files and save them to onenote, Onedrive or your local drive.
Cons
All is good with the application so there's nothing i dislike

- Industry: Marketing & Advertising
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Monthly for 6-12 months
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Ease of Use
- Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10
The PDF scanner for Microsoft users
Reviewed on 22/07/2021
The application itself can be found in mobile stores, I would recommend using other types of...
The application itself can be found in mobile stores, I would recommend using other types of scanners, as this one is a bit slow and can heat up the device a lot, but if it is for something very fast like scanning 1 or 2 documents, this one can get you out of trouble and more if you are a Microsoft user.
Pros
The biggest advantages we have in this document scanner, is that it is designed mainly for users who have the Office service, as it has direct connections to their applications, because when scanning your document with the camera on your phone, you can convert it to PDF or simply pass it to a Word document, PowerPoint or other Microsoft product, you can even digitize it or also in the case of students, scan the class blackboard and pass it as a document to save it to your OneDrive. Similarly, you can choose a document or image from your phone's camera roll and then share it or convert it to a Microsoft product.
Cons
When opening the application, I find it a bit slow, or it can even crash and restart itself. When scanning the document, it does not manage to finish scanning the document well and some parts are left on the top and bottom edges. It can also consume a lot of battery life, as the application relies purely on your phone's camera.
- Industry: Computer Games
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Daily for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
My thoughts on Microsoft Office Lens
Reviewed on 12/01/2023
Scanning images and documents is made easy with the Microsoft lens. Nevertheless, it can be...
Scanning images and documents is made easy with the Microsoft lens. Nevertheless, it can be challenging to manage a large number of scanned documents.
Pros
The scanned photographs have excellent quality. While snapping the picture, the app can display the cropping area. They don't reveal the crop area while taking the picture; they only do so subsequently. A preview of the final image can be seen by displaying the crop area while the image is being captured. The crop area can be automatically detected, which is superior to many other programs.
Cons
There is no choice to simply choose a few images and export them as a PDF. I was unhappy with the way the scanned files were managed. It is challenging to scan a large volume of pages, likely multiple pages.
- Industry: Information Technology & Services
- Company size: 11–50 Employees
- Used Weekly for 6-12 months
-
Review Source
Overall rating
- Ease of Use
- Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10
Great tool, very handy
Reviewed on 16/02/2023
Pros
Pretty handy software, allows the user to work the documents and images as necessary! When compared with some of the other solutions on the market, it stands out, not only for its functionallity for also its quality
Cons
Editing documents can something get a big slugish , but considering the dimension of the information and images that the software processes, i think its understandable.
Microsoft Lens FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions for Microsoft Lens.Q. What type of pricing plans does Microsoft Lens offer?
Microsoft Lens offers the following pricing plans:
- Pricing model: Free Version
- Free Trial: Not Available
Product is available for free.
Q. Who are the typical users of Microsoft Lens?
Microsoft Lens has the following typical customers:
Self Employed, 2–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, 501–1,000, 1,001–5,000
Q. What languages does Microsoft Lens support?
Microsoft Lens supports the following languages:
Chinese, English, German, Spanish
Q. Does Microsoft Lens support mobile devices?
Microsoft Lens supports the following devices:
Android (Mobile), iPhone (Mobile), iPad (Mobile)
Q. What other apps does Microsoft Lens integrate with?
Microsoft Lens integrates with the following applications:
Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, OneDrive
Q. What level of support does Microsoft Lens offer?
Microsoft Lens offers the following support options:
Email/Help Desk, Knowledge Base, Phone Support
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