During your work or study days, do you have to deal more and more often with documents in PDF format ? In addition to reading these files, do you need to modify them by inserting highlights, annotations and so on? Would you like to edit your PDFs directly from your smartphone or tablet, perhaps while you are traveling? Then you really need to download some PDF editing apps . How do you say? Have you already thought about it but have no idea which applications to download? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place at the right time!
In fact, in the next paragraphs, in addition to listing some applications that will allow you to easily edit your PDFs on Android, iOS / iPadOS, Windows and macOS, I will also explain how they work in detail. That way, even if you don’t think you’re exactly a tech savvy, you won’t have a problem using them to the fullest. Let it bet?
Well, then I would say not to waste any more precious time and to get to work immediately. Take all the time you need to read the information below, try the apps that appeal to you the most and, finally, choose the ones that are most suitable for you. I wish you a good reading and, above all, a good job!
Index
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (Android / iOS / Windows / macOS)
- Foxit Mobile PDF (Android / iOS / Windows / macOS)
- PDF Expert by Readdle (iOS / iPadOS / macOS)
- Preview (iOS / iPadOS / macOS)
- Other apps to edit PDFs
Adobe Acrobat Reader (Android / iOS / Windows / macOS)
If you are looking for a good PDF reader that can allow you to edit documents from your smartphone or tablet, I suggest you try Adobe Acrobat Reader : a very famous partially free solution that allows you to enrich your documents with annotations, highlights, drawings. free hand and so on. It is available both on Android (also on alternative stores , for devices without Play Store) and on iOS / iPadOS .
After completing the download of Acrobat Reader on your device, start the app by pressing the Open button or by tapping on its icon located on the home screen or in the drawer of your device and, in the screen that opens, press on the File tab , at the bottom to select the document you want to edit.
After choosing the PDF to edit, press the pencil icon located at the bottom and, in the menu that appears on the screen, choose an editing mode from those proposed. In the free version you can only add comments or fill out and sign a PDF document.
The Premium version of the app, on the other hand, with costs starting from 9.99 euros / month , allows you to access many more functions: edit and add texts and images, convert into a Word, Excel or PowerPoint document, combine and compress multiple files, extract and rotate items from the file, and more.
To add annotations or highlights, select the Comment item and select one of the tools available below to add a note to the text, highlight it, cross it, underline it or write freehand. Whenever you modify the PDF by adding a note, a highlight or other, remember to save the changes made by pressing the check mark (on Android) or by tapping on the Fine item (on iOS / iPadOS).
If you want, you can also change some display options by pressing the sheet symbol at the top and choosing one of the available display modes: Continue , if you prefer to scroll the sheets of your document vertically; Single page , if you prefer to scroll the sheets of your document horizontally; Reading mode , if you want to make the document more readable by increasing the font size; Night mode , if you want to read a document in the dark without straining your eyes too much with too cold colors (such as white) or, finally, Keep screen on, to prevent the device’s screen off feature from being activated.
By pressing on the symbol (…) , at the top, you can access other Adobe Acrobat Reader functions, such as document printing and sharing, but also Premium functions, such as the one for setting a password and limiting access to the PDF file.
If you are looking for an app to edit PDF in Windows 10 , you should know that Adobe Acrobat Reader is also available as an app for this version of Windows. In general, on computer operating systems, therefore Windows and macOS, you can also download the classic desktop version with installation package: if you want to know how to use the desktop version of Adobe’s PDF reader, I suggest you read my dedicated tutorial .
Foxit Mobile PDF (Android / iOS / Windows / macOS)
Another app to edit PDF on Android for free that I recommend you try is Foxit Mobile PDF , an application downloadable from the Play Store and alternative stores (for devices without the Play Store) thanks to which you can easily edit your PDF files by inserting annotations. , highlights and so on. It is also available on iOS / iPadOS and Windows 10 .
In addition to this, Foxit Mobile PDF allows you to access advanced functions by subscribing to a 10.99 euro / year subscription that allows you to protect your files with certificates, create empty PDFs, merge multiple files into a single document, protect data business and much more.
After completing the download of Foxit Mobile PDF on your smartphone or tablet, open the app and, in its start screen, press the Start button . As if by “magic”, all PDF files that are present on your device will be automatically loaded into the app and will be immediately available for consultation.
To open a file, press on it and then edit it by tapping on one of the buttons you see on the screen (below): List , to view the structure of the PDF, the list of bookmarks, the list of annotations o the list of attachments; View , to change the appearance of the sheet (color, brightness and so on) or the way pages scroll Comment , to add notes, highlights or to strike out, underline and draw text or Signature to add your signature to the open file.
You can also add a bookmark to your document by pressing the bookmark symbol at the top, or you can search for a phrase or term within the text itself, by tapping on the magnifying glass symbol .
Finally, I remind you that Foxit PDF is also available as a computer program for Windows and macOS. If you want to have some more information on the PC version of Foxit PDF, please read the guide in which I talk about programs to read PDF .
PDF Expert by Readdle (iOS / iPadOS / macOS)
One of the most famous apps to edit PDF on iPhone and iPad is PDF Expert by Readdle : an application available on iOS / iPadOS (52.99 euros / year) but also on macOS (89.99 euros), thanks to which it is possible edit PDFs and synchronize them via leading cloud storage services .
After downloading PDF Expert on your device, start the app and, in its home screen, press the Start button . At this point, press the Free trial button and subscribe , to start the 7-day free trial period. Through the My Files tab , at the bottom, you can search and open a PDF document present on the device memory, while through the Connections tab you can access your cloud storage spaces.
Once you have opened the document of your interest, tap on the drop-down menu at the top and select the Annotate item , to view the tools with which to modify the PDF by inserting comments, highlights, shapes, underlines and so on. By pressing on the Edit item , however, you can even modify the text in the document, but to access this advanced feature, a subscription is required.
PDF Expert also allows you to change the reading options of your PDFs. To do this, press the icon (…) and select the View Settings item . In the menu that appears, tap on one of the items you see on the screen: Day , if you want to view the sheet in white; Night , if you want to view the sheet in black so as not to strain your eyes (especially in the dark); Sepia , if you want to reduce the blue light emanation from the display.
To access all the other functions of the app, press the symbol (…) located at the top right and, in the box that appears on the screen, select one of the items available to print, share or set a password on the document, just to get some examples.
Preview (iOS / iPadOS / macOS)
Do you have an iPhone, an iPad or a Mac at your disposal? In this case, you can edit PDF directly from your device using the Preview app , the file reader included “standard” in all devices of the bitten apple. With Preview you can not only read and edit your PDFs, but you can also synchronize files on all devices associated with your Apple ID .
To edit a PDF on Preview , open a file through this app (by the way, if you don’t know how to save PDF on iPhone , or iPad, read the in-depth explanation in which I explain how to do it) and tap on the pencil symbol located at the top of right. In the menu that appears below, then use the tools you see on the screen to highlight the text and draw freehand on it.
To add text, your signature or a geometric shape, press the symbol (+) located at the bottom right and, in the menu that appears, tap on the Text item , to add text to the PDF; click on Signature to add your signature; presses on the Lens item to enlarge a portion of the PDF or tap on one of the available geometric shapes to add them to the document.
If you want to share the edited PDF with other users, click on the arrow symbol located at the top left and share it or print it by pressing the relevant buttons.
Other apps to edit PDFs
The applications to edit PDF that I listed in the previous paragraphs have not met you you? Strange! They are among the most popular with users. In any case, don’t give up and take a look at the apps listed below. I’m sure you will be able to find a solution that suits you.
- Office( Android / iOS / iPadOS ) – Microsoft has created the Office app for smartphones and tablets that allows you to manage business documents, including PDFs. The app allows you to export a PDF to an Office document, add text and edit the document with annotations and highlights. The app is free, however, only for devices under 10.1 inches. Read more here .
- Xodo PDF( Android / iOS / iPadOS / Windows ) – this PDF file reader offers several features that allow you to highlight text, underline it, draw freehand on it and so on. Moreover, Xodo PDF supports the synchronization of documents with the main cloud storage services and is characterized by a well-built interface that makes it easy to use.
- Media365 Book Reader( Android ) – this app to read eBooks not only allows you to import more than 50 different file formats to export them in PDF or ePub format , but also allows you to edit these documents by adding highlights and other customizations to the text itself.
- Notability( iOS / iPadOS / macOS ) – this app for taking notes , costing € 9.99, supports handwriting and allows you to transform your PDF files into real virtual sheets on which to write and sketch. free hand.
- Documents by Readdle( iOS / iPadOS ) – this free file manager, developed by Readdle, allows you to easily open and edit your PDFs by adding annotations, highlights, underlines and more. The Documents by Readdle interface is very similar to PDF Expert (which I told you about a few lines above), so you won’t have difficulty understanding how it works.
- PDF-XChange Editor( Windows ) – this program for Windows PC allows you to view multiple PDFs simultaneously thanks to the presence of a practical tabbed interface. The basic version of the program can be downloaded for free, but to edit PDFs using all the available functions, you need to purchase the Editor ($ 40) or Editor Plus ($ 51) version.
Are you wondering how to edit a PDF on PC? In that case, please read the deepening in which I explain in detail how to edit PDF on your computer. I’m sure you will find this reading very useful too.
