Support Center

Find answers to common questions and learn how to get the most out of OneScribe

Getting Started

What is OneScribe?

OneScribe is a privacy-first document scanning app for iPhone and iPad that turns any piece of paper into a smart notebook. Unlike proprietary notebook systems, OneScribe works with any paper and any pen—no special notebooks required.

Key Features:

  • Scan any paper (legal pads, sticky notes, napkins, etc.)
  • Perfect layout preservation with the "Monospace" Engine
  • On-device AI insights powered by Apple Intelligence
  • Direct upload to OneNote or Google Docs
  • 100% on-device processing—your data never leaves your device

System Requirements

OneScribe requires:

  • iOS 26.0 or later (for Apple Intelligence features)
  • iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence support
  • Camera access for document scanning
  • Microsoft or Google account (optional, for cloud uploads)

Note: Apple Intelligence requires a device with Apple Silicon (A17 Pro or later) or M-series chip. On older devices, OCR will still work, but AI insights will be unavailable.

First Time Setup

Getting started with OneScribe is simple:

  1. Download and Install: Get OneScribe from the App Store
  2. Grant Permissions: Allow camera access when prompted
  3. Connect Cloud Service (Optional): Sign in to Microsoft OneNote or Google Docs if you want to upload documents
  4. Start Scanning: Tap the scan button and capture your first document!

You can use OneScribe without connecting any cloud services—just scan and copy text to your clipboard.

Understanding the "Monospace" Engine

The "Monospace" Engine is OneScribe's unique layout preservation technology. Unlike other scanners that dump text into a messy blob, OneScribe:

  • Calculates exact indentation from your handwriting
  • Preserves horizontal spacing using monospaced formatting
  • Maintains code blocks as code blocks
  • Keeps lists structured with proper indentation

This is especially useful for:

  • Code documentation and snippets
  • Hierarchical notes with indentation
  • Structured lists and outlines
  • Any document where layout matters

Quick Actions & Shortcuts

OneScribe supports iOS Quick Actions for faster workflows:

  • Long-press the app icon on your home screen
  • Select "Scan & Upload" to quickly scan and upload to your default destination
  • Set default destination in Settings to enable one-tap workflows

This turns a 5-step process into a 1-tap reflex!

Scanning & OCR

How to Scan Documents

Scanning documents with OneScribe is easy:

  1. Open OneScribe and tap the scan button
  2. Position your document in the camera viewfinder
  3. Wait for auto-detection - OneScribe automatically detects document edges
  4. Capture the page - Tap the capture button or let it auto-capture
  5. Add more pages - Tap "Add Page" to scan additional pages in the same session
  6. Review pages - Use the page viewer to review, delete, or reorder pages
  7. Process OCR - Tap "Run OCR" to extract text from all pages

Tip: For best results, ensure good lighting and place documents on a contrasting background. OneScribe works best with flat, well-lit documents.

Multi-Page Document Scanning

OneScribe supports unlimited pages per scanning session:

  • Scan multiple pages in one session without interruption
  • AI analyzes all pages together for comprehensive insights
  • Page-specific summaries are generated for each page
  • Action items and concepts are tracked with page references

Perfect for:

  • Meeting notes spanning multiple pages
  • Lecture notes from entire class sessions
  • Multi-page journal entries
  • Complete documents and reports

Pre-OCR Review & Image Editing

Before processing OCR, you can review and edit your scans:

  • Rotate images 90° clockwise or counterclockwise
  • Crop images manually with aspect ratio options
  • Delete pages you don't want to process
  • Reorder pages by dragging in the page viewer

After OCR, you can:

  • Review extracted text before uploading
  • Edit text if needed
  • Copy to clipboard for quick reuse

OCR Settings & Customization

Customize OCR behavior in Settings:

  • Minimum Text Size: Adjust OCR sensitivity (0.0-0.08) to filter out small text or noise
  • Footer Filtering: Automatically ignores text in the bottom 10% of documents (footers)
  • Image Quality: Adjust JPEG quality (0.4-1.0) for uploads
  • Image Width: Set maximum image width (900-2400px)
  • Display Width: Control display width in OneNote (360-900px)

These settings help optimize OCR accuracy and upload quality for your specific use case.

Handwriting Recognition

OneScribe uses Apple's Vision Framework for handwriting recognition:

  • Works with any handwriting style - printed or cursive
  • Multi-language support - Recognizes text in multiple languages
  • On-device processing - All recognition happens locally
  • Layout preservation - Maintains indentation and spacing

Tip: For best handwriting recognition, write clearly and ensure good contrast between ink and paper. Dark ink on light paper works best.

E-ink Display Optimization

OneScribe includes special optimization for e-ink displays like the Kindle Scribe:

  • Enhanced contrast detection for e-ink screens
  • Better edge detection on low-contrast displays
  • Improved OCR accuracy for e-ink text

If you're scanning from an e-ink device, OneScribe will automatically optimize for better results.

AI Insights

What are AI Insights?

AI Insights are intelligent summaries and extractions powered by Apple Intelligence, processed entirely on your device:

  • Smart Summaries: Global summary of entire document + page-specific summaries
  • Action Items: Automatically extracted tasks with owners and due dates
  • Key Concepts: Important topics and definitions from lecture notes
  • Mood Analysis: Detects overall tone (Productive, Urgent, Reflective, etc.)
  • Auto-Tagging: 5-7 relevant tags covering major topics
  • Category Classification: Categorizes document type automatically

All processing happens on-device—your notes never leave your iPhone or iPad.

Meeting Notes Template

When OneScribe detects meeting notes, it automatically:

  • Generates a smart title (3-8 words describing the meeting)
  • Creates summary bullets (4-6 concise points)
  • Extracts action items with:
    • Task description
    • Owner assignment (if mentioned)
    • Due date detection
    • Page reference [Page X] for multi-page documents
  • Detects mood (Productive, Urgent, Collaborative, etc.)
  • Categorizes meeting type (Team Meeting, Client Call, Planning, etc.)
  • Generates tags covering all major topics

Class Notes Template

For lecture and class notes, OneScribe extracts:

  • Main topic or subject
  • Key concepts covered in the lecture
  • Definitions and terminology
  • Exam tips and important notes
  • Page references showing where each concept appears

Perfect for students who want to quickly review key concepts and exam preparation tips.

Journal Template

For personal journal entries, OneScribe identifies:

  • Gratitude items - Things you're grateful for
  • Key moments - Significant events or reflections
  • Mood tracking - Overall emotional tone
  • Tags - Topics and themes in your journal

All journal processing happens on-device—you're the only one reading your journal.

Uploading & Cloud

Connecting Microsoft OneNote

To upload to OneNote:

  1. Open Settings in OneScribe
  2. Tap "Connect OneNote"
  3. Sign in with your Microsoft account
  4. Select a notebook and section
  5. Set as default (optional) for one-tap uploads

Your authentication token is stored securely in your device's Secure Enclave. You can revoke access anytime through your Microsoft account settings.

Connecting Google Docs

To upload to Google Docs:

  1. Open Settings in OneScribe
  2. Tap "Connect Google Docs"
  3. Sign in with your Google account
  4. Grant permissions for Google Drive API access
  5. Set as default (optional) for one-tap uploads

Documents are uploaded to a "OneScribe" folder in your Google Drive. You can change this location in Google Drive settings.

Auto-Upload Workflow

Enable auto-upload for a seamless workflow:

  1. Enable "Auto-upload after OCR" in Settings
  2. Set default destination (OneNote or Google Docs)
  3. Choose destination each time (optional) - Shows picker if both services are connected

With auto-upload enabled, OneScribe will automatically upload documents after OCR processing, turning scanning into a one-tap workflow.

What Gets Uploaded?

When you upload a document, OneScribe includes:

  • Scanned images of each page
  • Extracted text with preserved layout (Monospace Engine)
  • AI Insights including:
    • Summary (global + page-specific for multi-page)
    • Action items with page references
    • Mood, category, and tags
    • Key concepts, definitions, exam tips (for lecture notes)
    • Gratitude and key moments (for journal entries)
  • Metadata: Timestamp, document type, confidence score

All insights are formatted and ready to use in your cloud service.

Privacy & Data Flow

Understanding how your data flows:

  1. Scanning: Images captured on your device
  2. OCR Processing: Text extraction happens on-device using Apple Vision
  3. AI Analysis: Insights generated on-device using Apple Intelligence
  4. Upload: Document sent directly to your chosen cloud service (OneNote or Google Docs)

Important: OneScribe never sends your data to intermediate servers. Your document goes directly from your device to your cloud service via their official APIs.

Troubleshooting

OCR Not Working or Poor Quality

If OCR results are poor, try:

  • Improve lighting: Ensure document is well-lit
  • Flat surface: Place document on a flat, contrasting background
  • Adjust text size filter: Lower the minimum text size setting if small text is being missed
  • Check image quality: Ensure camera focus is sharp
  • Rotate if needed: Use pre-OCR review to rotate images

For handwriting, ensure clear contrast between ink and paper.

AI Insights Not Available

AI Insights require Apple Intelligence, which needs:

  • iOS 26.0 or later
  • Device with Apple Intelligence support (A17 Pro or later, M-series chip)
  • Apple Intelligence enabled in device settings

If AI Insights aren't available:

  • Check your iOS version (Settings → General → About)
  • Verify Apple Intelligence is enabled (Settings → Apple Intelligence)
  • OCR will still work without AI Insights

Upload Failures

If uploads fail:

  • Check internet connection: Uploads require network access
  • Verify authentication: Reconnect your cloud service if tokens expired
  • Check permissions: Ensure OneScribe has permission to access your cloud account
  • Try manual upload: Disable auto-upload and try uploading manually
  • Check cloud service status: Verify OneNote or Google Docs is accessible

If problems persist, try disconnecting and reconnecting your cloud service.

Layout Not Preserved Correctly

If layout preservation isn't working:

  • Check document orientation: Ensure document is straight in the scan
  • Verify indentation: The Monospace Engine preserves indentation—ensure your original has clear indentation
  • Review extracted text: Check the OCR preview before uploading
  • Adjust settings: Try different image quality and width settings

The Monospace Engine works best with documents that have clear indentation and structure.

Privacy & Security

Is My Data Private?

Yes, absolutely. OneScribe is designed with privacy as a core principle:

  • 100% on-device processing: All OCR and AI analysis happens on your iPhone/iPad
  • No data collection: We don't collect, store, or transmit your documents or text
  • No cloud servers: We don't operate any servers that process your data
  • Direct API connections: Uploads go directly to your cloud service, not through us
  • Secure token storage: Authentication tokens stored in Secure Enclave

Your notes never leave your device except when you explicitly choose to upload them.

What Data Does OneScribe Access?

OneScribe only accesses:

  • Camera: To scan documents (only when you use the scan feature)
  • Cloud accounts: Only when you explicitly connect OneNote or Google Docs
  • Local storage: To temporarily store scanned images on your device

We don't access:

  • Your contacts, photos, or other apps
  • Location data
  • Device identifiers for tracking
  • Any data without your explicit permission

How Are Authentication Tokens Stored?

Authentication tokens for Microsoft and Google accounts are stored in your device's Secure Enclave:

  • Hardware encryption: Tokens are encrypted and isolated from the rest of the system
  • Developer access: Even we (the developers) cannot access your tokens
  • Local only: Tokens never leave your device except for API calls
  • Revocable: You can revoke access anytime through your account settings

This is the same security technology used by Apple Pay and Face ID.

Still Need Help?

Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help.

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