PDF files may seem like a thing of the past, but they are still widely used for filling out official forms, online submissions, and various other documents. Interacting with them can seem cumbersome, with some people resorting to printing them out to complete, then scanning the final document to email it to the recipient.
But you don’t have to go through this complicated process. You can easily open and edit PDFs on your iPhone using iOS’s built-in markup tools. Simply open the PDF on your iPhone and access the markup tools via the pen icon or the icon that looks like a pen and a three-dot box. Here you will find drawing tools as well as the ability to select a block to add text to.
We’ll review these free tools provided by Apple below and also recommend a few third-party apps for a little more flexibility. Read on to find out how to use Apple’s tools to edit a PDF on iPhone.
Create or open the PDF on your iPhone
Before you can edit a PDF, you must locate and open it. The PDF may have been emailed to you, in which case you can click on the PDF in the email to open it on your iPhone.
Alternatively, the PDF can be on a web page. Click on the PDF to open and edit it. When you’re done, the PDF can be saved and then found in the Files app on your iPhone – just search Recents to find the PDF.
Or you may even need to save the page as a PDF yourself, in which case follow these steps:
- Open the web page or document you want to turn into a PDF.
- Choose the Share option (the box with an arrow at the bottom of the screen).
- In the sharing sheet that appears, swipe over the app icons and select the Books icon.
- The PDF will be created and saved as PDF in Apple Books.
There are other ways to create a PDF on an iPhone here: How to Create a PDF on iPhone.
Once you have the PDF file on your iPhone, select it and you are ready to read or edit the content.
Want help scanning a PDF so you can fill it out? Here’s how to scan documents on iPhone.
Add a signature to a PDF on iPhone
One of the most common ways users need to edit PDFs is to add a signature. This could include signing a contractual agreement or anything that requires you to demonstrate compliance with the contents of the document. Fortunately, it’s easy on iPhone.
Open the PDF, then select the Edit button (it looks like a circle with a pen inside).
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
Now let’s go to the “+” icon and choose Add a signature Or Signature in the context menu.
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
You will be presented with a selection of signatures you have previously created or, if this is the first time or you need to create a new signature, select the option Add or remove a signature option.
Create a signature by drawing it on your iPhone screen with your finger or a stylus, then tap Do.
Your signature will now appear in a box on the document. Simply drag and resize it to add the signature.
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
When you’re finished, tap anywhere other than the box to leave the signature in place.
Add text to PDF on iPhone
If you need to fill out a text field in a PDF, your iPhone makes that task easy too. Follow the same steps described above: tap the pen icon, then tap +, but this time instead of selecting (Add) Signaturechoose the (Add) Text option instead.
A text box will appear on the form, so just move it to the right place, adjust the size, then double-tap the Box Text section and enter the words you want to use.
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
Tapping the AA icon on the bottom row opens the text menu, from where you can select the font and size of the text. When you’re done, just tap outside the box and your text should stay on the form.
There is another, even more precise way to add text to a PDF if the PDF has been configured with fields.
In fact, in this case, you may even be offered help to automatically fill out the form. If you see an option to autofill the form, tap it and the fields will be selected for you to fill out. Editable fields will be highlighted in blue, and you may even receive suggestions on what to enter, like your name or address. in the correct fields, depending on whether or not this is configured on your iPhone.
If you don’t automatically see a pop-up offer to help you autofill the form, tap the autofill icon, which looks like a pen and three dots in a box and you’ll be able to edit the fields in the PDF.
Annotate a PDF on iPhone
Sometimes you may want to highlight areas of a PDF, especially if you are working on it with a friend or colleague. In these cases, you can use the annotation tools available on the iPhone.
To do this, open the PDF, tap on it, then you will see the row of tools appear at the bottom of the screen.
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
Martyn Casserly
From there you can choose the highlighter by tapping on it. If you want to adjust the thickness of the pen stroke, simply tap it again and a pop-up menu will appear with the different sizes available. There’s also opacity displayed on the slider below, so you can make the strokes transparent or solid.
On the right, next to the “+” button, there is a circle that displays the current color of the highlighter. Tap on it, you can use the palette to change it to the tone you prefer.
Besides the highlighter, you can choose the pen tool, marker, eraser and others to add the type of annotation you desire.
If you make a mistake at any time, simply tap the Undo icon (curved left arrow) to delete the last annotation.
There you have it, a free and easy way to annotate PDFs on your iPhone. If you want to try the same thing on a bigger screen, you can check out our How to Edit PDFs on a Mac guide.
Best iPhone Apps for Editing PDFs
For more polished PDF editing on your iPhone, try some of these tools, all cross-platform, with versions also available for Mac. In fact, we’ve gone over all of that in our roundup of the best PDF editors for Mac.
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