Google is set to launch a powerful new document scanning mobile app that it says can finally help you get all your files in order.
Stack has been developed using the artificial intelligence platfrom created by Google's DocAI team to make it more powerful, and therefore hopefully more useful, than other doucment scanner apps around today.
The app is the latest off the conveyer belt at Area 120, Google's internal incubator for creating experimental projects that has in the past produced the likes of Fundo, Byteboard and AdLingo.
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Google Stack
Available for Android users in the US now, Stack looks to borrow enterprise technology tools to help sort and organize personal documents.
When users take a photo of a document, Stack will scan it, automatically name it, and then suggest the right category — or “stack” for it to be stored in.
These stacks could be collecting together bills, banking documents, ID information, medical forms, receipts - or even just work documents.
Google says that Stack is able to identify important information in your documents (including phrases such as “due date” or “total amount due”), which it can extract and file to make it easier for you to find and access in the future. Users can also search through the full text of their documents (not just the title) using the app to quickly find the right details.
A copy of the scanned documents can also be automatically uploaded to Google Drive in case Stack ever suffers any issues, and the app is secured by Google's own sign-in technology, meaning users can add biometric scans and 2FA to access the files if desired.
Stack was created by former Socratic head Christopher Pedregal and colleague Mathew Cowan, who wanted to solve the issues created by having reams of physical documents scattered around the house.
"We know how stressful staying on top of your paperwork can be," Pedregal wrote in a blog post announcing the release. "So far, Stack has made us feel more organized and prepared for whatever life throws at us. We're excited about its potential to help you, too."
The team do urge that Stack is still a work in progress, but the app is available to download for Android users in the US now, with more countries hoped to come soon.
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