How to highlight and annotate a PDF on iPhone
PDF Reader Pro offers highlighting, freehand drawing, text notes and image insertion. Choose the tool that matches whether you are marking existing text or adding new information.
App used in this guide: PDF Reader Pro ↗
Before you begin
Keep the source document when you need an unmarked copy. Text highlighting depends on selectable text; a scanned image may require a drawing or text annotation instead.
Step by step
- Open the PDF and navigate to the page you want to mark.
- Select a highlight, drawing or text tool and choose its appearance.
- Add the annotation without covering essential content.
- Save and reopen the document to check the result.
Check the result
Review annotation placement at normal reading size. If you share the file, open the exported copy too, since that is what the recipient will see.
Limits and troubleshooting
Adding a note is not the same as editing the original paragraph. A dark rectangle or drawing over sensitive text is also not secure redaction: the underlying content may remain in the PDF. Use a proper redaction workflow for that purpose.
SpaceNode Free Tools
- 📑 Merge PDFCombine multiple PDF files into one PDF in the order you want. Free, no sign-up, no watermark — files never leave your device.
- ✂️ Split PDFExtract pages from a PDF or split it into several files by page range or one page per file. Free, with page previews — files never leave your device.
- 🗂️ PDF to JPG ConverterConvert every page of a PDF to a JPG or PNG image in your browser. Choose the DPI, save single pages or download all as a ZIP. No upload.
Sources and further reading
Source language may differ
Publisher disclosure: SpaceNode develops the app described here. Screens and options can vary by version, device and region. Manufacturer names identify compatibility and do not imply endorsement.