How to access documents/data which were usually available on the "my scans" section of the Microsoft lens app ?

Abeer Mathur 5 Reputation points
2026-05-19T17:41:39.65+00:00

I have been using the Microsoft lens app for about 4 years now. I have loads of pdf documents and pictures saved on the app which I had not saved to the local phone storage of my i-phone. I tried accessing them through the "my scans" option available on the app that allows access to all the data. But currently I'm unable to access the "my scans" folder through the mobile application. It keeps showing a blank black screen to me which seems like a glitch. When I logged into my One Drive app, there is absolutely no data available over there. Please suggest what to do next, it is crucial that I can access those documents as I have no other backup.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | iOS

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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-19T17:42:03.6466667+00:00

    Documents in Microsoft Lens are only accessible if the app is still installed and the same account that was last used with Lens is signed in.

    According to the retirement information for Microsoft Lens:

    • Previous scans remain accessible only as long as the Microsoft Lens app stays installed on the device.
    • Access to past scans requires signing in with the last active account used in Microsoft Lens.
    • Scans are not necessarily stored in OneDrive unless they were explicitly saved or uploaded there; OneDrive is only the recommended alternative for future scanning.

    Given the situation described:

    1. Ensure the Microsoft Lens app is still installed on the iPhone and has not been removed or reinstalled. If it was reinstalled, local-only scans that were never uploaded may not be recoverable.
    2. Open Microsoft Lens and confirm that the same Microsoft account used over the past four years is signed in. If prompted, sign in with that account.
    3. Once signed in with the last active account, try accessing “My scans” again. Access to past scans depends on being signed in with that specific account.
    4. If scans had been saved to OneDrive in the past, they will appear in OneDrive only in the locations where they were saved at the time (for example, specific folders). If nothing appears in OneDrive, it indicates the scans were likely stored only within the Lens app.

    If the app remains installed, the correct account is signed in, and “My scans” still shows only a blank screen, this is a functional issue within the app itself. The documented path for assistance in this transition is to contact Microsoft Support via the Support Page at https://support.microsoft.com/contactus.

    For future scanning, use the OneDrive app’s built-in scanner:

    1. Open the OneDrive app on the mobile device.
    2. Select the + button in the bottom corner.
    3. Select Scan photo to scan documents.
    4. Save the scan to the desired location in OneDrive. Note that OneDrive does not support saving scans locally on the device.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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