FOSS Alternative to Microsoft Lens? The development of OpenScan has been halted for 3 years. (github.com)

submitted 10 months ago by Shakuni@lemmy.ml to c/opensource@lemmy.ml

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What is a good FOSS Android app to scan documents and immediately convert them to pdfs? On Microsoft Lens, you can take multiple scans and also merge different ones together to create a combined PDF. Thanks.

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[-] lanigerous@feddit.uk 14 points 10 months ago

I use this on a daily basis on Android, works pretty well & is available through Fdroid:

https://github.com/LittleTrickster/PDF-Doc-Scan

[-] superfes@beehaw.org 12 points 10 months ago

https://alternativeto.net/software/office-lens/?license=opensource

Looks like there may be a few more, haven't used any of them though.

[-] JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Lens is the one thing I still use from Microsoft. None of the competition works nearly as well for b&w/greyscale plus angle correction and multiple PDF pages.

On top of that it is completely local, doesn't make you sign into an account, doesn't ask for location access, and doesn't phone home (at least what I have been able to see).

The only thing that Microsoft makes that I will choose over open source alternatives. Knock on wood that they don't change it.

[-] somedaysoon@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Lens and SwiftKey for me. I just recently gave all the major FOSS keyboards another look: Anysoft, Florisboard, Unexpected, and OpenBoard. None of them tick all of the boxes like SwiftKey for me.

[-] gogosempai@programming.dev 4 points 10 months ago

There's a fork of OpenBoard with gesture typing. Finally made me switch.

[-] sonalder@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago

Damn, will try this one !

[-] somedaysoon@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Can you get to the numpad layout with one button or gesture? That's one of the boxes that need checking for me. I am extremely fast with a numpad layout, and I type a lot of numbers so I also want a fast way to get to it. I don't even think OpenBoard had a numpad at all if I remember correctly.

These are some of the things I want in a keyboard, in no particular order:

Good predictive slide typing
Word suggestion bar for misspelled words
Slide on spacebar to move cursor
Slide on backspace to select and slide cursor
Hold on backspace to delete entire previous word
Have a clipboard manager that is a single action to get to
Have a numpad that is a single action to get to
Show hinted symbols
Have a microphone button

Florisboard is the closest to what I want, it has all the features, the word suggestion bar just isn't very good right now. I've been using Swiftkey for over a decade, before Microsoft bought it, so it's hard to make the change from it. But once Florisboard works out the word suggestion bar, I'll be switching.

[-] JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl 2 points 10 months ago

I get that. I tried Swiftkey a few years ago for a few months, but I still typed normally like a pleb lol.

Though the setup for Anysoft is just better for me with language switching. I can't fault anyone for their keyboard choice because it is such a specific feel.

[-] warmaster@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

I finally found my perfect keyboard. https://www.f-droid.org/packages/rkr.simplekeyboard.inputmethod/

[-] warmaster@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Save the APK

[-] detalferous@lemm.ee 0 points 10 months ago

Have you tried Google stacks?

It's quite solid, but I've not used lens to compare it to.

Obviously the privacy is no better, but it exists.

[-] sxan@midwest.social 9 points 10 months ago

And it (OpenScan) was never on par with Lens, at the best of times. I hate MS with a long-burning passion, but Lens was best in class. Nothing matched its whiteboard scanning; it was absolutely indispensable, in the pre-COVID times.

[-] Klaymore@sh.itjust.works 7 points 10 months ago

I use OpenScan and it works pretty well. You can also check out alternativeto.net

[-] uzay@beehaw.org 3 points 10 months ago

I haven't come across a FOSS scanner app that comes close to the performance abd features of the popular closed source ones. That's why I use closed source ones that still work when I deny them internet access. Genius Scan and Microsoft Lens both work that way.