How can I scan business cards and upload them to Outlook?

Hi Kristie Harvego,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum! Have a good day and I hope you're doing well! 

I completely understand how confusing and frustrating this can be, especially when you’re following the official documentation step by step but don’t see the same options in the Outlook app on Android. 

Based on my own testing on other Android devices, I’m also unable to find a built‑in option in Outlook for Android to scan business cards, even when following the instructions in the documentation exactly.

From what I’ve researched, Microsoft has gradually shifted toward using Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) as the primary scanning application, rather than maintaining this capability directly inside Outlook Mobile. As a result, some scanning‑related features that were previously described as integrated may no longer appear within the Outlook app itself. 

Based on my testing, I also verified on my side that scanning through the standalone Microsoft Lens app does not automatically add the contact to Outlook. I understand that this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, and I truly appreciate your understanding.

According to official information from Microsoft, the Microsoft Lens app will begin retiring from iOS and Android devices starting October 25, 2025, and it will no longer be supported after December 25. Microsoft is currently gradually migrating scanning‑related capabilities to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as part of its ongoing product evolution.

Reference: Retirement of Microsoft Lens – Microsoft Support

Given the current transition period, the most practical recommendation at this time is to add contacts manually, while awaiting more complete feature parity and future updates from Microsoft as these scanning capabilities continue to be refined and integrated.

In this situation, you may also consider submitting feedback through the Microsoft Feedback Portal. Features with higher vote counts tend to receive more visibility, and many improvements in Microsoft products are driven directly by customer feedback. 

I hope the information above helps clarify the current behavior and provides a practical path forward. If I misunderstood any part of your scenario, or if you have additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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