Is it free to edit a PDF (add text, highlights and shapes) on iPhone?

Yes. Every core FernPDF tool is free, with no account, no watermark, and no trial limits.

Where does the edited PDF end up on iPhone?

It downloads straight to the Files app, inside Downloads, ready to reopen, AirDrop, or attach to an email straight from there, the normal place Safari on iOS saves anything, not a special location just for FernPDF.

What can I add to a page?

Text boxes, highlights, freehand ink, rectangles, ellipses, lines, arrows, PNG or JPG images, and whiteout blocks.

Will the edits still be there if I reopen the file?

Yes. They are baked into the page content itself rather than stored as separate annotation objects, so every viewer renders them identically.

Edit PDF

Edit PDF · iPhone

How to edit a PDF (add text, highlights and shapes) on iPhone

You don't need special software to edit a PDF (add text, highlights and shapes) on iPhone. FernPDF runs entirely in Safari on iOS: open the tool, drop your file, download the result. The whole editor runs in your browser: rendering, editing and saving all happen on your device.

On iPhone, you tap the drop zone to open the native picker, then choose Files, iCloud Drive, or Photos. Once the edited PDF is ready, it downloads to the Files app, inside Downloads, ready to reopen, AirDrop, or attach to an email straight from there.

Safari's file picker is a full-screen sheet rather than a floating window, and there's no separate downloads icon on the Home Screen, everything routes through the Files app, iOS's equivalent of Finder.

Files from iCloud Drive or the Files app open directly in Safari, and processing happens on the phone itself: no app to install, and nothing uses your data plan to upload.

Step by step

1Open the Edit PDF tool in Safari on iOS. No install, no account.
2Add the PDF you want to change: tap the drop zone to open the native picker, then choose Files, iCloud Drive, or Photos.
3Add text boxes, highlights, shapes, images or whiteout, or switch to Edit text mode to rewrite existing lines.
4Click “Save” and download the edited PDF. It lands in the Files app, inside Downloads, ready to reopen, AirDrop, or attach to an email straight from there.

No upload · no account · no watermark

FAQ

Common questions

Yes, FernPDF is a web app, so it runs in Safari on iOS with no installation. All processing happens on your device, in this browser tab.

Every FernPDF tool processes files in your browser: read how the privacy model works, or verify it yourself in your network tab.