If you need to scan a document these days, you're often presented with two choices: find an actual scanner (good luck), or use your phone's camera. Many of us opt for the latter, but scanning apps can be clunky, and sometimes produce unreadable images, which completely defeats the purpose of using one. The newest version of the Scanner Pro app, which came out this week for iOS users, suffers none of those problems and even offers a few clever options that make scanning documents even easier.

Scanner Pro 6 is a really good scanning app at the most basic level. You don't need to perfectly line up the document, because the app can recognize its edges and conform the resulting image into a more perfect rectangle. It adjusts the brightness and contrast so that, even if you're taking a picture in a room with muddy lighting, you'll be able to read what's on the sheet of paper you're scanning. You don't even need to tap the screen to capture — Scanner Pro 6 can automatically scan what's in front of your phone and save it, which allows you to quickly scan multiple documents.

You can do similar things with other apps, such as Evernote’s Scannable or Microsoft’s Office Lens, but what makes Scanner Pro different is its new Scan Radar feature. Scan Radar removes the need to launch the app to scan something. Instead, you can just activate your phone's camera from the lock screen and photograph a document, and when you open the app later it will alert you that it has a new scan ready for you. Scanner Pro 6's competitors might be free, but Scan Radar alone might be worth paying for if you do a lot of scanning.

There's also plenty of integration with services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and now One Note and One Drive. You can email, fax, or print the scans, too.

Scanner Pro 6 is available in the App Store for $2.99, 50 percent off its usual price, or as a free update for those who already have an older version of the app.