A business card is useful only if you can find the person again. Dextr's business-card scanner helps turn the printed details into a contact you can review, save, and enrich with the story of how you met.
The scanner extracts information from the card; you make the final check before relying on it.
Check that scanning is available
Business-card scanning uses the camera and Apple Intelligence. It requires iOS 26 or later on an eligible device, Apple Intelligence enabled and available, and a supported language. Dextr also needs camera permission.
If the scanner is unavailable, use the message shown in Dextr to identify the cause. You may need to enable Apple Intelligence, wait for its model to finish preparing, or allow camera access in your device's Settings.
The feature may also require a subscription. Dextr shows the applicable access options in the scanner. You can always enter the person's details manually if scanning is unavailable.
Scan the card
- On the Home screen, choose Business Card in the Add New area.
- Allow camera access if prompted.
- Place the card within the guide, keeping it flat and the printed details clearly visible.
- When the scanner recognizes text, tap Scan Business Card to process it.
- Wait for Dextr to prepare the extracted contact details.
Good lighting and a steady view help. If a glossy card reflects light across a phone number or email address, change the angle before scanning.
Review before saving
Check the person's name, company, job title, phone numbers, email addresses, and other extracted information. A stylized font or unusual layout can make an individual character difficult to recognize.
Correct mistakes and add anything missing in the contact form. Pay particular attention to email spelling, international phone prefixes, and whether a company name has been mistaken for a person's name.
Tap the checkmark when the details look right. If you already have a record for the person, review possible duplicate contacts rather than keeping competing versions indefinitely.
Add what the card cannot tell you
A card rarely records why you wanted to stay connected. After saving the contact, add how you met, the relevant Event or Place, and a short note about your conversation.
For example: “Met at the local design meetup. Interested in collaborating on accessibility research.”
If someone brought you together, record who introduced you on the new contact’s profile. That preserves the mutual connection alongside the details from the card.
Then set a Calendar reminder for a promise if you offered to send something, or choose a Stay in Touch interval to keep the new connection going. Scanning saves typing; this context makes the contact useful.
As the relationship continues, save later conversations as Journal Entries. Record the useful details from a call or coffee, then review the contact’s Events & Journal history before reaching out again.
Understand what syncs afterward
With Contacts Sync enabled, eligible new contacts can be exported to Apple Contacts through your Primary Sync Device. A new Dextr contact needs a phone number, email address, or social profile before it is exported.
Your Dextr-specific context, such as tags and First Met details, remains in Dextr. See How to Import and Sync Contacts With Dextr for the distinction.