How to Sign a PDF on iPhone and iPad
On an iPhone you can sign a PDF for free with Markup: open it in Files or Mail, tap the Markup button, then + and Add Signature. File Acture's Edit & Sign PDF also lets you draw or type a signature, add text, cover mistakes and fix words, and it saves a new signed copy so the original stays as it was.
Updated October 31, 20264 min read
By the File Acture team
A rental agreement in an email, a school permission form, a delivery note: more and more paperwork arrives as a PDF that only needs your signature. You do not need a printer or a scanner for it. Here is how to sign on an iPhone with the built-in tools, and how to sign, fill in and correct a PDF while keeping the original.
How to sign a PDF with Markup
Open the PDF in the Files app or tap the attachment in Mail, then tap the Markup button (a pen tip). Tap + and choose Add Signature, sign with your finger, tap Done and drag the signature into place.
Markup is free and always there. The catch is that in Files it saves the changes into the PDF you opened, so make a copy first if you need the unsigned version, and it has no way to correct text that is already on the page.
How to sign a PDF with File Acture
Open Edit & Sign PDF, tap Add from Files and pick the PDF, then tap Open Editor. You can also share a PDF from Mail or Files to File Acture.
Tap Signature. On Type, write your name and pick one of the handwriting fonts; on Draw, sign in the box with your finger. Choose an Ink Color: blue, black, red or any color, then tap Add.
The signature lands on the page: drag it to move it and drag its corner to resize it. Tap Save when you are done. The signed PDF is a new file in On My iPhone › File Acture › PDF, ready to share, and the original is not changed.
How to fill in a PDF before signing
The same editor fills in the rest of the form.
- Add Text places a text box anywhere: a date, your name, a reference number.
- Whiteout covers a mistake or a field you want to leave blank with a white box.
- Edit Text changes words that are already on the page; tap the text you want to change. On a scanned page, File Acture first reads the page with OCR, then lets you tap a word.
- Eraser removes what you drag over, when the page’s words are drawn as shapes and cannot be edited in place.
Is a signature on a PDF legally valid?
A signature you draw or type is an image of your signature on the page, like signing a printout and scanning it. Many everyday documents accept that. A certified digital signature, which proves who signed and that nothing changed since, needs a signing certificate and is a different thing.
If the other side asks for a qualified or certificate-based e-signature, use the service they name.
Is it safe to sign a PDF online?
Signing websites receive the whole document, often a contract with names, addresses and amounts. File Acture edits and saves on the iPhone itself. The free version counts each saved PDF as one of its 5 daily runs; Pro removes the limit. To keep the signed PDF from being opened by anyone else, add a password.
How to sign a PDF on iPhone with File Acture
- 1
Open the PDF
Open Edit & Sign PDF, tap Add from Files, choose the PDF and tap Open Editor.
- 2
Create the signature
Tap Signature, then sign on Draw with your finger or write your name on Type.
- 3
Add it
Pick an Ink Color: and tap Add.
- 4
Place it
Drag the signature into place and drag its corner to resize it. Add a date with Add Text if needed.
- 5
Save and share
Tap Save, then share the signed copy.
Sign, fill in and correct PDFs without uploading them.
Free to try · on iPhone and iPad
| Method | Drawn signature | Typed signature | Original kept | Edit existing text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Markup (Files, Mail) | Yes | No | No, saved into the file in Files | No |
| File Acture Edit & Sign PDF | Yes | Yes, handwriting fonts | Yes, new file | Yes |
Questions
How do I sign a PDF on my iPhone for free?
Open the PDF in Files or Mail, tap Markup, then + and Add Signature. File Acture also signs for free within its 5 daily runs.
Can I type my signature instead of drawing it?
Yes. In File Acture, tap Signature, choose Type, write your name and pick a handwriting font.
Is the original PDF changed when I sign it?
Not with File Acture: it saves the signed PDF as a new file. Markup in the Files app saves into the file you opened.
Can I sign a scanned PDF?
Yes. A signature can go on any page. To change words on a scan, File Acture reads the page with OCR first.
Does it work on iPad with Apple Pencil?
File Acture runs on iPad too; on Draw you can sign with your finger or with Apple Pencil.