Kempt
In short
Scan each paper with your iPhone straight into a Finder folder (Control-click the folder › Scan Documents), name it date-first (“2026-03 Lease agreement.pdf”), and file it in six or seven folders such as Home, Money, Taxes, Health, ID and Insurance.Keep originals the law or a bank may ask for. The slow part is naming hundreds of scans; Kempt reads each scan and names and files it on your Mac.
Without any app
Scan with your iPhone, into Finder
Control-click the desktop or a folder in Finder and choose Scan Documents under your iPhone. Photograph each page, tap Keep Scan, then Save: the PDF arrives in that folder. No scanner needed; a printer-scanner works through Image Capture.
Name each scan date-first
Select the scan, press Return and type the month, what it is and who sent it: “2026-03 Lease agreement Oak Hollow.pdf”. Sorted by name, papers fall in date order.
A folder system that lasts
Six or seven top folders in Documents, two levels at most (see the table). One folder per year inside Taxes is enough.
Check that scans are searchable
Spotlight finds words inside PDFs, but a scan is a picture unless it carries text. Search a word you can see on one scan: if it isn’t found, the scans need text recognition.
Encrypt and back up
Turn on FileVault (System Settings › Privacy & Security) so a lost Mac doesn’t expose your papers, and back up with Time Machine or iCloud Drive.
| Folder | What goes in | Example name |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Lease or deed, rent receipts, utility bills | 2026-10 Electricity bill.pdf |
| Money | Bank statements, payslips, loans | 2026-09 Payslip Northwind.pdf |
| Taxes | Returns, W-2 and 1099 forms, receipts, one folder per year | 2025 Federal tax return.pdf |
| Health | Insurance cards, bills, prescriptions | 2026-06 Dental invoice.pdf |
| ID | Passport, driver’s license, birth and marriage certificates | Passport Camille Martin.pdf |
| Insurance | Policies and renewals | 2026-09 Car insurance renewal.pdf |
With Kempt
- 1
Scans named for you
Drop scans into Downloads or tidy a folder of them: Kempt reads each page (text recognition included), names it with what it is, who sent it and the month, and files it in your Documents folders. Names it isn’t sure about wait in “Needs a look”.
- 2
Find a paper by what it is
Ask (Control-Option-Space) understands “my lease” or “last year’s tax return” and shows the page an answer came from, even when you don’t remember the file name.
- 3
Papers ready when asked
Dossiers for rental, visa, residence permit, new job and mortgage stay ready: Kempt tells you when a paper arrives or gets too old.
$27 once, 14 days freeRuns on every Apple silicon MacA question? Ask a person
Questions people ask
What is the best way to scan documents on a Mac?
The free, built-in way: Continuity Camera with your iPhone (Control-click a Finder folder › Scan Documents). For stacks of paper, a sheet-fed scanner with Image Capture is faster.
Should I keep the paper originals after scanning?
Keep originals of identity papers, deeds, wills and anything a court or bank may ask to see. Scans are enough for most bills and receipts once the legal keeping period is covered.
Is it safe to keep scanned IDs on a Mac?
Safer with FileVault on, a strong login password and backups. Keep them out of shared folders and out of AI chats.
How do I organize important documents at home?
Six or seven folders (Home, Money, Taxes, Health, ID, Insurance), date-first names, and one place for papers to process each week.
How do I digitize old paper documents?
Scan them with your iPhone straight into a Finder folder (Control-click the folder › Scan Documents), or use a sheet-fed scanner with Image Capture for big piles. Name each scan date-first, then shred what you no longer have to keep.
Where do scanned documents go on a Mac?
Into the folder or desktop you Control-clicked to scan. Image Capture saves to the folder chosen in its window.
What’s the best way to store important documents?
Originals of certificates, deeds and wills in a safe place at home; scans in Documents on a Mac with FileVault on and a Time Machine or iCloud backup.