How to Edit a PDF on iPhone

How to Edit a PDF on iPhone Using Built-In Markup Tools

There are three apps on your iPhone that allow you to view documents as well as offer some markup tools for editing PDFs. They are Files, Notes and Books. Their editing capabilities are pretty similar. But there are some nuances that have an impact on the convenience of the editing process. Let's take a closer look at each of the apps.

How to edit a PDF file with iPhone’s Files App

This a perfect option for adding signatures, annotations or simple markups to your PDF file. To start editing a PDF on an iPhone, open the document in the Files app and tap on the Pen icon at the bottom, then “+” and “Add Text”.

You can easily add a block of text and place it anywhere within the page. To enter your annotation, double-click inside the text box. Type in your text. Then go to the editing toolkit at the bottom.

Here, you’ll be able to change the font, size, alignment, color and the style of your text. Can you see the blue circle icon with three dots in the upper corner of the text box? Tap on it. Here, you can duplicate or delete your text if necessary.

You can use this markup tool to add a signature, too. It can be placed right next to your text or anywhere else within the page. But please note that if you don’t have a digital signature saved on your iPhone, you will need to create it before adding it to a PDF.

To add a signature, you will need to tap the Pen icon, then “+” and select “Add Signature”. Here, you’ll be able to pick the necessary color and adjust the line thickness.

When you are satisfied with the result, tap on “Done” in the right top corner.

There’s another way how you can add some text or a signature to your PDF. Tap the Pen with dots icon. Then select whether you want to add a signature or a text box.

There’s a drawback, though. You won’t find any editing features here. Thus, you’ll need to go to the Markup tool, if you want to make any changes to this newly added item.

Adding some text or a signature isn't the only thing that you can do while editing a PDF file on an iPhone. This built-in tool allows you to highlight snippets of text, as well.

First, determine which fragment of text you want to select. Tap on one of the words in this fragment and hold your finger there for a couple of moments. Once the word is selected, make the selection as big as you need and ensure that all the necessary words are included in the selection.

When the snippet of text is selected, you will see a small menu appear at the top. You’ll need to go for the “Highlight” option, then choose the highlighting color. To undo the changes, select the snippet of text again and choose Remove.

This type of PDF editing is pretty basic. If that’s all you need, you can make great use of iPhone’s Files app. This tool is already on your iPhone and available for free.

However, it has rather limited functionality. For instance, it doesn’t offer a batch processing feature. It means that you won’t be able to sign multiple pages in one go. If you want to add a block of the same text to different parts of the document, you will need to do it manually. As you can imagine, it will be quite time-consuming and laborious. Thus, if you need to edit PDF on iPhone on a regular basis, you’ll have to find some other tool.

How to edit a PDF file with iPhone’s Notes App

Similarly to the Files app, you will find the markup tool at the bottom of the screen in the Notes app. The editing process is pretty similar, too. You’ll need to tap on the Pen icon, then add your signature or text. Edit your newly added item if necessary.

The difference is that here your signature, comment or any other text will be under the contents of your PDF. Once you finish editing your PDF files on an iPhone, tap the rectangular icon in the top right corner to switch between the pages. You’ll see that your signature or text is sitting at the bottom of each page.

It is also possible to highlight snippets of text in this app. Only the text that you select will be highlighted. The highlighting process in the Notes app is different from the Files app.

Here, you will need to pick the Highlighter Marker tool, select its thickness, color and opacity. Then you’ll need to highlight the necessary bit of content with your finger. Naturally, the neatness of the result will depend on how good you are at drawing with your finger.

How to edit a PDF file with an iPhone’s Books app

As you might guess from the name, the Books app is mainly for reading books and viewing PDF files. But it also offers some editing options. The Books app is as easy to use as the Files app, even though its interface is slightly different.

First, select the markup tool at the top of the screen. Tap the “+” icon and choose the “Text” option. To enter your text, tap on the text box and select “Edit”. If you tap the “aA” icon, you’ll be able to pick a different font, adjust the size of your text and its alignment.

Please note that if you add a signature, you will be able to change only its color, not its line thickness. Another thing to keep in mind is that once you save the changes, you’ll be able to delete your added block of text, but not your signature.

If you want to highlight snippets of text, you will be able to do this the same way as in the Notes app – with the help of a highlighter marker. This feature can be used not only to highlight snippets of text, but also to hide sensitive data in your PDF document.

To do this, you need to go for a dark color – black would be the best choice – and set the highest level of opacity, then “highlight” the text that you want to hide.

Finally, tap the “<” icon in the top left corner to save the changes.

All the built-in iPhone apps are suitable only for some basic editing. In other words, you won’t be able to change the contents of a PDF document.

If that’s what you need, you’ll have to look for a third-party PDF editing app. Luckily, now, you will be introduced to some free tools that have extensive functionality for editing PDFs on iPhone.

How to Edit a PDF File on iPhone Using Watermarkly

It’s worth mentioning right away that this app doesn’t allow you to edit the contents of a PDF document, like the Microsoft 365 app. However, it can be of great help when working with PDFs. You should try Watermarkly if you need to watermark PDF or add the same signature or text to multiple files in one go.

Here is how you can do this:

1. Download the Watermarkly mobile app.

2. Select PDF files and upload them into the app.

3. Tap the “+ Text” and enter your text. For instance, “Signed by”. Please note that your text will be added to each page of the document automatically.

There’s some room for experimentation here. You can create a textual watermark by typing in your brand name. You can rotate your text, make it more transparent or even place it behind the PDF contents. A great way to secure your PDF and increase its watermark protection is to use the Tile option which allows you to fill the whole page with repeated watermarks.

4. If you want to add a signature to the document, tap the “+ Logo” button. Please note that before you do this, you will need to save your signature as an image on your iPhone. Tap on the signature to select it, then move and place it anywhere on the page. If your signature image has a monochrome background, you can remove it if necessary. It’s possible to adjust the size, the color and opacity.

Watermarkly can be of great use for editing PDF on an iPhone for another reason. You can use it to hide sensitive data.

All the apps mentioned in this article allow you to hide a fragment of text by highlighting it, choosing a dark color and setting the highest level of opacity. As a result, your sensitive data – be it your social security or phone number, home address, etc– will be covered with a dark, opaque, thick line. This way of hiding data is effective, but it won’t look very aesthetically pleasing.

In Watermarkly, however, you can add a blur to any part of a document, then edit its intensity. The blurred area won’t be as obtrusive as a thick, black line. At the same time, your privacy will not be violated.

But there’s something you need to be aware of.

First, there is a separate app designed specifically for blurring. Thus, you should download the Blur Face Watermarkly app from the App store. It is free of charge and supports batch processing. However, at the moment, this app doesn’t allow you to upload files in the PDF format, so you’ll need to convert PDF to JPG first.

Once you upload your file into the app, tap the “Add Blur” button, resize the blurred area, adjust the intensity and placement. Once you blur all the confidential data and export the images, you will be able to convert your documents back to PDF.

One of Watermarkly’s main advantage is its batch-processing feature, which makes it more convenient and time-efficient than the other apps. It can be of great help if you need to protect your PDFs from unauthorized use or hide sensitive data in an unobtrusive and aesthetically-pleasing way.

Conclusion

Now you know how to edit a PDF on iPhone with the help of some free and user-friendly tools. You might be wondering what editing tool you should choose. But there’s no one answer for everyone. Your choice depends entirely on how exactly you want to edit your PDFs. All of the apps in this article have their own advantages and disadvantages, but they are all easy to use. So, give each app a try and determine which one is the best for you.