How to Edit a PDF on an iPhone

In today’s mobile-first world, you shouldn’t need to wait until you’re back at your desk to make quick edits to a PDF. Whether you’re reviewing a contract during your commute, updating a proposal between meetings, or annotating a report while traveling, knowing how to edit a PDF on an iPhone gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere.

In this article, we will show you how to edit PDFs and files on your phone. To edit the PDFs on your iPhone, you’ll need a reliable PDF editor app, such as Foxit PDF Editor. We’ll cover essential features, advanced capabilities, troubleshooting tips, and how to get the most out of mobile PDF editing.

Essential Features of Foxit PDF Editor for iPhone

Foxit PDF Editor for iPhone packs professional-grade editing tools into a mobile-friendly interface. Here are the core features that make it a powerful PDF editor iPhone users can rely on:

It offers a range of editing features, including:

• Text editing and formatting. Modify existing text, change fonts, adjust sizes and colors, and add new paragraphs—all from your iPhone. The software automatically reflows text to maintain proper document formatting as you make changes.
• Annotation tools. Highlight important passages, add sticky notes, draw shapes, underline text, and strike through content. These tools are perfect for reviewing documents and providing feedback on the go.
• Signature capabilities. Create, save, and insert your digital signature directly from your iPhone. Sign contracts, approvals, and forms without printing a single page.
• Form filling. Fill out PDF forms with interactive fields, checkboxes, and dropdown menus. If the form isn’t interactive, you can still add text boxes to fill in information.

To use Foxit PDF Editor, simply visit the App Store on your iPhone and search for “Foxit PDF Editor.” Then download and install the app. Now, you’re ready to do any or all of the following steps below to get the results you want.

How to edit a PDF file on iPhone using Foxit PDF Editor:

1. Once you open the app to edit a PDF, you can choose an existing PDF from your device’s storage or import PDFs from cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive.
2. If you’ve already opened a PDF on your iPhone with the app, you may see options to Open a Recent PDF or All PDFs. Tap on the last PDF file you want to edit if it’s listed.
3. Now, choose the PDF file you want to edit and open it within the PDF editor app.
4. Once the PDF file is open, explore the editing tools in the toolbar at the top of the editing screen so you can better understand editing PDFs on iPhone. These functions include text editing, highlighting, annotating, adding images, and more. You may need to scroll in the toolbar to see them all.

You can also create a new PDF using any one of a number of templates you’ll find in the app, then edit them as you see fit.

Edit text in the PDF file

To edit PDF text within the same PDF document, select the text editing tool from the toolbar.

Tap on the text you want to modify, and a new text box will appear, allowing you to make changes. You can change the font, size, color, and formatting of the text.

You can even add or remove text and watch as the software reflows the document to accommodate the changes you’ve made, which helps to streamline your workflow and editing process.

Edit images in the PDF document

When you edit a PDF, if you need to either add text or replace images in the PDF while you’re editing a PDF on your phone, look for the image editing tool.

You may need to slide the toolbar to see the image editing option. Tap on the area where you want to either add text or an image, and you’ll be prompted to select an image from your phone’s gallery or take a new photo using the camera. Once you do, resize and reposition the image as necessary.

Annotate and highlight the contents of the PDF file

While you’re working on editing a few PDF documents on iPhone, know that Foxit PDF Editor also provides tools for annotating and highlighting text. These tools are handy when you want to emphasize certain points, edit the text or make notes when you edit PDF files on iPhone.

To annotate or edit PDF, choose the annotation or highlight tool from the toolbar and use your finger or a stylus to mark the desired areas. You can change the color and opacity of the annotations and highlights to suit your preferences.

Save and share your newly edited PDF document

Once you’ve finished editing the PDF, tap the “Save” or “Done” button to save the changes. You can choose to save the edited PDF locally on your device or share it via email, messaging apps, or cloud storage services.

It’s also a good idea to make sure to give the file a recognizable name, especially when you’re planning to share the document with other people.

Then, after saving, you can easily share the edited PDF with anyone on your team, to your vendors, with your boss, even with customers and other colleagues within your industry or any other industry you’d like to reach out to on the topic or topics within the Portable Document Format file.

Foxit PDF Editor offers sharing options, such as email, messaging apps, or direct upload to cloud storage platforms. Choose the sharing method that suits your needs and send the PDF to the intended recipients.

Advanced PDF Editing Features on iPhone

Beyond basic text and image editing, Foxit PDF Editor for iPhone includes several advanced capabilities that rival desktop PDF software:

• OCR (Optical Character Recognition). If you receive a scanned PDF or image-based document, Foxit’s OCR technology converts it into searchable, editable text. This means you can edit PDFs created from scanned documents just as easily as digitally created ones.
• Redaction tools. Permanently remove sensitive information from PDFs before sharing. Unlike simply highlighting or covering text, redaction completely removes the underlying data, ensuring confidential information stays private.
• Document merging and splitting. Combine multiple PDFs into a single file or extract specific pages into separate documents. This is particularly useful when compiling reports or organizing reference materials.

Troubleshooting Common Issues When Editing PDFs on iPhone

Even with a robust app like Foxit PDF Editor, you might occasionally run into hiccups. Here’s how to solve the most common problems:

• App crashes or freezes when opening large PDFs. Very large PDF files (over 100MB) can strain mobile devices. If your app crashes, try closing other apps running in the background to free up memory. If the problem persists, consider splitting the large PDF into smaller sections on a desktop, then editing the sections individually on your iPhone.
• Text doesn’t reflow properly after editing. Sometimes when you change text in complex layouts, the formatting gets disrupted. If this happens, undo your changes and try making smaller, incremental edits rather than large blocks of text at once. For heavily formatted documents, you might need to use a desktop editor for major changes.
• Can’t select or edit certain text. If text appears as an image rather than selectable text (common in scanned documents), you’ll need to use OCR first to convert it into editable text. In Foxit PDF Editor, look for the OCR or “Recognize Text” option in the tools menu.
• Changes don’t save or document reverts to original. Make sure you’re tapping “Save” or “Done” after making changes. If you simply close the app, changes might not be committed. Also, verify you have sufficient storage space on your iPhone—if storage is full, saves can fail.

Can You Edit a PDF on an iPhone for Free?

The short answer is yes—but with some limitations. Foxit offers Foxit PDF Reader, a free tool that lets you view PDFs, fill forms, and add basic annotations. However, advanced editing capabilities—such as modifying text, adding images, running OCR on scanned documents, or applying redactions—require Foxit PDF Editor with a subscription or license.

Free features usually include:

• PDF viewing and navigation
• Basic highlighting and comments
• Sticky notes and annotations
• Form filling and basic signing

Premium features typically require a subscription:

• Text editing and formatting
• Adding or editing images
• OCR for scanned documents
• Redaction tools
• Advanced page management
• PDF creation and conversion

Cloud Integration and Mobile-Specific Features

One of Foxit PDF Editor’s biggest advantages on iPhone is how seamlessly it integrates with cloud services and other mobile apps, making it easy to access, edit, and share PDFs from anywhere.

• Seamless cloud storage integration. Foxit connects directly with Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, and iCloud Drive. Open PDFs stored in the cloud, make your edits, and save them back automatically. No downloading and re-uploading required—your changes sync instantly.
• Quick sharing to any app. After editing, share your PDF via email, Messages, Slack, WhatsApp, or any other app installed on your iPhone. The native iOS share sheet gives you one-tap access to all your communication tools.
• Collaboration features. Share PDFs with commenting enabled so team members can review and annotate from their own devices. Track changes and see who made which edits for better version control.
• Files app integration. Foxit works with Apple’s Files app, so you can access and edit PDFs stored anywhere on your iPhone or connected cloud services, all from one familiar interface.

Start Editing PDFs on iPhone Like a Pro

Now that you know how to edit PDFs on an iPhone, you can see that it has become a seamless process with the right PDF editor app, like the Foxit PDF Editor app for iPhone. By following the steps outlined above using Foxit PDF Editor for iPhone, you can modify text, add images, annotate, and highlight important sections within your various PDF files and PDF documents.

Ready to transform your iPhone into a powerful PDF editing tool? Download Foxit PDF Editor from the App Store and experience professional-grade PDF editing in your pocket. Try it free and discover how PDF editing on an iPhone can streamline your workflow.