Question 1

What should I expect from this tool?

Accepted Answer

Capture pages with your camera and download one PDF.

Question 2

Are my documents uploaded?

Accepted Answer

No. Smile PDF processes document contents only in your browser, on every plan. Account and payment requests happen online; paid tool checks send tool identifiers and file sizes, never document contents.

Question 3

When are my files deleted?

Accepted Answer

There is no one-hour or two-hour server deletion window because Smile PDF never receives server copies of your documents. Closing the tool or tab ends its active processing session, but does not securely erase your device. Downloaded files remain on your device until you delete them yourself.

Question 4

Is Smile really free?

Accepted Answer

Basic is free with per-tool file and batch limits, and excludes OCR. Day Pass and Premium unlock all tools, with up to 4 GB per file subject to device capacity. No daily task count limit.

Question 5

Does document privacy cover my account and payments?

Accepted Answer

The no-upload policy covers document contents. Account, billing and Business enquiry information is handled separately online; local document processing does not exempt those activities from privacy obligations.

	Smile PDF	Legacy cloud tools
Speed	Instant — no upload or download wait	Upload, queue, then download
Privacy	Files never leave your device	Files sent to third-party servers
Ads	Paid plans: ad-free	Banner & interstitial ads
GDPR	Compliant by architecture	Depends on data processing terms
Price	Free Basic; paid passes from €1.99	Free with limits, paywalls

Scan to PDF

How to use Scan to PDF

Choose files for Scan to PDF

Prepare your document

Process & save

Smile vs. Legacy Cloud Tools (iLovePDF)

Frequently asked questions