How to Annotate a PDF on iPhone (Highlight, Comment, and Draw)
Add highlights, comments, and handwritten notes to a PDF on iPhone using built-in iOS tools or Safari-based tools — no app download needed.
iPhone has surprisingly capable built-in PDF annotation through the Markup feature — highlights, text, shapes, and Apple Pencil support on iPad. FixMyPDF's comment tool in Safari complements this for structured comment-box annotations.
iOS Built-In Markup (Best Starting Point)
Open a PDF in the Files app → tap the Share icon → Markup. Or open in Mail and tap the PDF → Markup button. You get: Pen/pencil/highlighter tools for drawing, text tool for typing notes, shapes (arrows, circles), and the ability to add a signature. Tap Done and the annotated PDF saves.
Highlighting Text in a PDF on iPhone
Open the PDF in Safari or Files → tap and hold on a word → drag the handles to select text → tap Highlight in the popup menu. On iOS 16 and later, you can also look up selected text, copy it, or add a note to the highlighted section. Highlights appear in yellow by default but can be changed to other colours.
Adding Text Comments in iOS Markup
In Markup, tap the "+" button → Text. A text box appears — tap it to type your comment. Drag to position. Resize by dragging corners. Change font size with the AA button. This creates a floating text annotation visible on the page.
Method 2: FixMyPDF Add Comments Tool in Safari
For adding structured comment boxes that appear in the PDF's comment panel (compatible with Acrobat's review workflow), go to fixmypdf.in/tools/add-comments in Safari. Upload your PDF, tap to place comments, type your notes, and download the annotated file.
Apple Pencil Annotation on iPad
On iPad with Apple Pencil, Markup becomes significantly more powerful. You can hand-write notes directly on the page, draw precise shapes, and highlight with a natural pen feel. The Pencil's pressure sensitivity and tilt detection create natural-looking annotations — ideal for marking up design documents or academic papers.
Saving Annotated PDFs on iPhone
After markup, tap Done in the Markup editor. The annotated PDF updates in Files. To share it, tap the Share icon → choose Mail, AirDrop, or any other app. The recipient sees your annotations in any PDF reader.
Removing Annotations Before Final Sharing
If you want to share the clean version without your markup, open the original (unannotated) file. Or use our remove annotations tool to strip all markup from an annotated PDF before final distribution.
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