How to Edit a PDF on iPhone

In today's digital age, PDFs are widely used to store and share different kinds of documents: contracts, research or working papers, books, presentations, brochures, CVs, etc. PDFs tend to have a manageable file size, thus the exchange of files between different devices and different users is usually lightning fast.

Another reason for the popularity of this format is that you can set restrictions on editing the contents. In addition to this, it’s generally more challenging to edit PDF documents. Thus, it’s usually recommended to use this safe and secure format for sharing important documents; instead of Word, which can easily be edited, for instance.

how to edit a pdf on iphone

Nevertheless, it’s possible to edit PDFs. In fact, it’s perfectly possible to view as well as edit them right on the go. You will only need your iPhone for this.

That’s right! You can make various changes to a PDF file on an iPhone without paying a cent. Please note, though, that not every editing app will suit your needs. You have to make your choice depending on how exactly you want to edit your document.

Fortunately, in this article you will learn how you can edit a PDF on iPhone as well as find out which app has great functionality and can help you make the necessary changes as quickly and easily as possible.

Do you need some basic editing like adding annotations, signing documents or highlighting snippets of text without changing the existing content?

Then, you’ll be happy to know that iPhone has a couple of built-in apps that can help you do just that. They should be more than enough for you. In this article we’ll give you detailed instructions on how to edit a PDF on iPhone in Files, Notes and Books apps. The screenshots will make it easier to follow them.

Is your goal to make the changes in the document itself? Do you want to correct the text or put an image next a block of text?

Then you will need to go for a third-party editing app; luckily, some of them are available at no cost. Below we will take a closer look at the Microsoft 365 mobile app that is available for free and has a broad selection of editing tools.

Do you need to protect a file from being copied, assign a status to it – for instance, “Confidential” – or hide some sensitive data?

Try Watermarkly. It offers tools that will help you watermark PDFs as well as blur fragments of text in a quick and simple way. The online versions of these tools can be found on Watermarkly’s website. Alternatively, you can find and download Watermarkly’s mobile app in the App Store, then process your PDF files free of charge.

This article features step-by-step instructions, a brief analysis as well as pros and cons of each app. This will surely help you narrow down your choice. Let’s get started!

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”.

how to edit a pdf on iphone in files app

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone in files app

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone in files app

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone in files app

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone in files app

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone in notes app

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 on iphone in notes app

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone in books app

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone in books app

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 on iPhone for Free with Microsoft 365

This app can be extremely useful if you need to make corrections to the existing content as well as remove or add some fragments of text. You can use it for free during the first month, but you need to have a Microsoft account.

To edit a PDF file on iPhone you need to do the following:

  1. Download the app from the App store and sign up.
  2. Go to OneDrive > My device > Files app and select the PDF you need to edit.
  3. Tap the “Convert to Word” button and then the Pen icon at the top. This will turn your PDF into a Word file, so now you can easily edit it. how to edit a pdf on iphone with Microsoft 365
  4. Determine where you want to add your new item. Tap on this place, then enter your new text. You'll notice that by default, your newly added text will have the same formatting as the entire paragraph. The app automatically detects the font, size, and opacity of the original text, which can be extremely useful if that’s what you need. But if you want to add some changes, you’ll need to select the necessary fragment of text, then edit it with the help of editing tools at the bottom. how to edit a pdf on iphone with Microsoft 365
  5. To save the changes, tap the “...” icon in the top right corner, then go to Export > PDF. Select where you want your edited file to be exported to. how to edit a pdf on iphone with Microsoft 365

What else can you do while editing a PDF on iPhone with Microsoft 365? Remove any text you want, add bullets and numbered lists, insert tables, add comments, change paragraph formatting and even insert a picture near a block of text. It’s perfectly possible to highlight snippets of text here, too.

Similarly to the built-in iPhone tools, the Microsoft 365 mobile app allows you to annotate PDFs. But at the same time, it also gives you the ability to edit the existing contents of your document.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that compared to paid PDF editors, its functionality might be somewhat limited. For instance, it doesn’t allow you to add hyperlinks or edit and move multiple blocks of text at once.

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone with Watermarkly

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone with Watermarkly

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.

how to edit a pdf on iphone with Watermarkly

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.

When You Need to Edit a PDF on an iPhone

The most obvious reason why you might need to edit PDFs on your iPhone is when you are on the go and thus, temporarily, don’t have access to a computer.

Let’s take a look at more specific examples. You might need to edit a PDF on an iPhone to:

  • Review and give feedback: For example, you work remotely and need to review an important document from a colleague. This needs to be done asap, but you don’t happen to have a laptop or even a tablet on hand. There’s no need to panic! You can easily make use of iPhone’s built-in apps to highlight bits of text and add comments – for instance, to suggest some edits – right in a PDF document.
  • Fill out a form: Say, you filled out a PDF form when you were at work or home. It was a rather big and long form, and you were in a bit of a rush. Then you downloaded the PDF to your iPhone to send it on the go. But before sending, you decided to take another look at it…only to realize that there’s a field that you missed. Plus, there are a couple of mistakes in the text. You don’t have time to get back to a computer and fix everything. The file needs to be sent right now. So, what can you do? A PDF editing app for iPhone can help you out as it will allow you to make some corrections and add some new information.
  • Make annotations on the fly: Now, imagine that you are at a meeting or conference and have the presentation PDF document on your iPhone. You want to highlight some key points or maybe even make some notes, so you won’t forget anything. Surely, you can do that in a separate file in the Notes app. But it will be much more convenient, effective and quick to do this right in the presentation PDF.
  • Sign a document quickly: Say, you are on a holiday and don’t have a laptop with you. You just received a contract or an agreement in PDF which needs to be signed asap. With the help of a PDF editing app, you can effortlessly add a digital signature to the document right on your iPhone, then send the signed document back.
  • Hide data at the last minute: Say, you need to send a document to a client, but at the last moment, you noticed that some sensitive company data aren’t hidden. And these data shouldn’t be shared with anyone outside the company; even with clients. You can quickly and easily hide this information using iPhone’s built-in apps.

Without a doubt, it’s much easier to edit PDFs on your computer. What if you need to make some small changes right here and right now? That’s when editing PDFs on iPhone can come in handy. It’s a convenient way to perform a simple editing task when it’s impossible to put it off.

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.