Simple Art Scanner

An artwork scanner for museums and galleries. Capture perfectly cropped images, scan labels to extract details, and build your personal art collection.

Made by Jordan Matthiass.

How it works

Simple Art Scanner has two main tabs: Capture and Library.

Capture: Point your phone at an artwork. The app automatically detects edges and crops the image with perfect alignment. Then photograph the museum label, and the app extracts artist, title, year, and other details automatically.

Library: Browse your personal collection. Search by title or artist. Tap any artwork to view details, add notes, or share it.

Getting started

1. Open Capture and photograph an artwork

2. Review the automatically cropped image

3. Photograph the wall label

4. The app extracts details (you can edit manually if needed)

5. Artwork is saved to your Library

Questions

Why isn't the label scanning working?

Label scanning requires iOS 17.6 or later. On newer devices (iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 series, or compatible iPad), the app uses Apple Intelligence. On other devices, it uses local OCR. Ensure the label is clearly visible and well-lit.

The edge detection isn't working on my artwork.

Edge detection works best with clear boundaries between the artwork and background. Ensure good lighting and avoid extreme angles. You can always retake the photo or manually adjust the crop.

Can I sync across devices?

Yes. Sign in to iCloud in your device settings. Your artworks and metadata will sync automatically across all devices using the same Apple ID.

Where are my photos stored?

All photos and metadata stay on your device in the app's private storage. They don't go to the cloud by default. If you enable iCloud sync, files go to your private iCloud Drive container—the developer cannot access them. When you share an artwork, metadata is embedded in the image file itself.

Can I edit artwork information?

Yes. In your Library, tap any artwork and tap "Edit" to modify title, artist, year, medium, exhibition, or add notes.

How do I delete an artwork?

Swipe left in your Library and tap Delete, or open the artwork and tap the trash icon. Deletion is permanent.

Can I share my artworks?

Yes. Tap an artwork, then tap Share. Send it via Mail, Messages, AirDrop, Photos, or other apps. Metadata is embedded in the shared image.

Can I export my entire collection?

You can share individual artworks with metadata embedded. Your full collection is stored in iCloud (if enabled) and accessible across devices. There's no bulk export feature, but your data is always yours.

What permissions does the app need?

Camera: Required to capture artwork and labels. Photos stay inside the app by default unless you export them.

Photos: Only requested if you choose to save to your library.

Privacy & data

We do not collect your data. Simple Art Scanner contains no accounts, sign-ups, analytics, or crash reporting. No data is transmitted to the developer or third parties.

All photos, OCR output, and metadata stay within your app's sandbox. They leave your device only when you explicitly share them, or when synced to your private iCloud Drive container.

If you enable iCloud sync, your artworks are stored in your private iCloud Drive container. Apple handles encryption. The developer has no access. If iCloud becomes unavailable, the app stores data locally and moves it to iCloud when available again.

On devices with Apple Intelligence, label parsing uses on-device Foundation Models supplied by Apple. No content is sent to the developer. On older devices, OCR runs entirely on-device.

Simple Art Scanner is rated 4+ and collects no personal data, so it complies with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) requirements.

Technical details

iOS 17.6 or later on iPhone or iPad. Requires a rear camera.

Artwork photos and metadata are stored locally. A typical artwork takes roughly 2–5 MB of space.

Simple Art Scanner works entirely offline. You can capture, store, and view your collection without internet. iCloud sync requires an internet connection and an iCloud-enabled Apple ID.

Support

For questions, bugs, or feature requests, email . Include details about your device, iOS version, and the issue.

View on App Store

If you enjoy Simple Art Scanner, please leave a review on the App Store.