How to Open and Edit PDFs on an iPhone.

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Whether you’re running a small business, working remotely, studying at university or juggling tasks as a single parent, there are many reasons – both professional and personal – why you might need to open and edit a PDF on an iPhone.

Sometimes, it’s extremely useful to be able to work with documents on the go. You may need to make additions, annotations, deletions, changes, and comments to a PDF – and you’re not always going to be next to a desktop or laptop.

The good news is, if you’re an iPhone owner, it’s easy to edit a PDF on an Apple smartphone. Wherever you may be, here’s how to open and edit a PDF on an iPhone.

What You’ll Learn.

How to Open a PDF on your iPhone.

Woman smiling at iPhone on the street.

There are a few ways to open PDF files on your iPhone – each with its own benefits and limitations. Depending on what you need to do, it’s worth knowing your options.

Open a PDF on iPhone with Apple Books

You can use the Apple Books app to open PDFs on your iPhone. To view a PDF in Apple Books, you need to open the document by tapping on the PDF file in the Files app – you’ll then have the option to open your PDF with the app of your choice. This should then open in Apple Books. Alternatively, if the file is attached to an email, you should be able to open it from there.

Once the PDF is open in Apple Books, you can use some basic features, such as bookmarking, notations, and highlighting.

Open a PDF on iPhone with the Built-in Files App

The Files app can be used to open PDFs and can be handy if you only need a quick look. When you open a PDF in the file's app, it offers a preview in a new window. From here, you have the option to save the file to your iPhone or open it in another app.

Open a PDF on iPhone with a Web Browser

If you’re trying to view a PDF hosted on a website, you can open it in a web browser on your iPhone. All you need to do is navigate to the website and tap the PDF link. The PDF will then open in the browser. From there, you can choose to open it in another app or save it to your iPhone.

Open a PDF on iPhone with a PDF Reader App

There are several third-party PDF reader apps available on the App Store that offer additional features such as annotations, editing, and syncing across devices. Some popular options include Adobe Acrobat Reader.

How to download Adobe Acrobat Reader and open PDFs on your iPhone

  1. Head to the App Store on your iPhone.
  2. Tap ‘Get’ and download the Adobe Acrobat Reader app, then tap ‘Open’.
  3. On the Welcome to Acrobat Reader screen, tap ‘Continue’ and choose whether to allow notifications.
  4. On the Get Started screen, tap ‘Continue’.
  5. Tap on the cross in the top right, and the Welcome screen will display.
  6. Tap on the ‘Search’ button at the bottom right of the screen.
  7. In the search bar at the top of the screen, type the name of the PDF you want to open on your iPhone (You can also browse the files by folder on your iPhone’s storage).
  8. Tap on the PDF you want to open, and it should appear on the screen.

How to Edit a PDF on an iPhone.

You’ve got a few options if you want to edit a PDF on an iPhone – though the tools or method might change slightly.

Use the Built-In Markup Tool to Edit a PDF on iPhone

You can use the built-in markup tools on iOS to edit a PDF. To start, open your PDF file in the Files app. Tap on it to open the file and then tap the Markup button. From there, you can add text, highlight, draw and more.

Convert your PDF to a Different Format

If you’re having trouble editing the PDF directly or want to work in another format, you can convert your PDF to a file type of your choosing that can be edited. One of the most popular options is converting a PDF into a Word document. There are online tools available such as the Adobe Converter Tool. Once your PDF has been converted, you can edit it as a Word document (or any other word processing app) and then save it as a PDF again.

Edit a PDF on iPhone with a PDF Editing App

There are several apps available on the App Store specifically designed to edit PDFs. These apps offer a more complete suite of features including adding text, highlighting, drawing, adding shapes and inserting images, to name a few. One of the most popular options for PDF editing is Adobe Acrobat Reader.

How to Edit a PDF on iPhone with Adobe Acrobat Reader

  1. Open the Adobe Acrobat Reader app.
  2. Tap on the ‘Search’ button, found in the bottom right of the screen.
  3. In the search bar located at the top of your iPhone screen, type the name of the PDF you’d like to edit.

Search bar in Adobe Acrobat app on iPhone

  1. Alternatively, you can select the ‘Files’ option to browse for PDF files from your iPhone, photos, Adobe cloud storage, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or email.

Selecting files from Adobe Acrobat app on iPhone

  1. Tap the blue pen circle in the bottom right. A menu will pop up.

Edit PDF menu in Adobe Acrobat on iPhone

  1. To add comments, tap ‘Comment’. You can also enter a name to identify your comments at this stage.

Add comment tool to PDF in the Adobe Acrobat iPhone app

Entering name for comments in Adobe Acrobat app on iPhone

  1. To add a signature, tap ‘Fill & Sign’.

Adding signature and initials to PDF on Adobe Acrobat app on iPhone

  1. To make more complex edits, tap ‘Edit PDF’. Please note: the ‘Edit PDF’ option can only be accessed if you have a Premium subscription.

Please note that to access all editing tools for PDFs, you’ll need to use Adobe Acrobat with a Pro subscription.

Whatever device you are on, you can also use Acrobat Online Services to make simple changes for free using the PDF editor.

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

  1. Tap on ‘Files’.
  2. In the search toolbar at the top of the screen, type the name of the PDF you want to open and edit.
  3. Swipe from the left edge of the screen to the right and the thumbnail page view will show up.
  4. Select the page you want to edit by pressing down and holding the page icon.
  5. A menu will pop up at the bottom of the screen. To make markups, tap on the circular pen tool. To add a signature, tap on the signature box tool to the right of the markup tool, in the bottom right corner.

FAQs

Why can’t I edit a PDF on an iPhone?
There are various reasons why you may not be able to edit a PDF on your iPhone. It could be that the edits you wish to make can only be done with a premium Adobe Pro subscription. Alternatively, the PDF you want to access may be password-protected, which prevents edits.
How do I access downloaded PDFs on an iPhone?
To find PDFs downloaded to your iPhone, you need to open the Files app. To do so, swipe down and type ‘Files’. Then tap on ‘Browse’ in the bottom-right corner and select ‘Downloads’ under Favourites.
What is the safest way to open a PDF on an iPhone?
The safest way to open a PDF on an iPhone is with a trusted PDF reader. Adobe Acrobat features regular security updates to provide protection to your iPhone and offer peace of mind when exchanging or accessing personal or professional documents.

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How to open and edit PDF on iPhone.
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Find out how to open and edit PDFs on an iPhone with these step-by-step guides. It’s useful to be able to access and work with PDFs on the go.
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