How I edit and annotate PDFs on iPhone when my Mac isn’t around

Photo by Thom Bradley on Unsplash

It had been a long day, and I was finally traveling home after being in and out of lectures and a meeting with a client.

Right before switching off, I checked my email. Big mistake. There was a message from a client asking me to edit a PDF that only I could access, and it was due by morning. My Mac was sitting at home, so I had no choice but to sort it out on my iPhone.

I used my iPhone to make the PDF changes…

Do you know how to create a PDF on an iPhone? Or edit a PDF file?

I didn’t either at first, but I’m glad I do now, and I’ll show you how.

It’s not immediately obvious how to turn a document into a PDF on your phone, but it can be done. If you have the image of the document you want to edit already saved to your phone, it’s simple.

Here’s how to create a PDF on iPhone:

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Select the image of your document.
3. Tap the Share icon (square with an arrow).
4. Scroll down and tap Print.
5. On the preview, use two fingers to pinch out (zoom in); this converts it into a PDF.
6. Tap the Share icon again.
7. Tap Save to Files.

Once I have the document created and saved, it’s all about the apps I use to edit it. It really is simple.

Apps to edit PDFs on iPhone

App: Nitro PDF Pro

The first app I turn to is **Nitro PDF Pro. I can use it to view and [read PDF files on iPhone](https://setapp.com/how-to/how-to-read-pdf-on-an-iphone?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=how_i_edit_and_annotate_pdfs_on_iphone_when_my_mac_isnt_around&utm_content=expert/Polina)** and edit PDFs on the go. When I want to edit a document, I open the app, find the file, and tap Edit to make the changes I need.

I can then choose to print it or share it with a person.

App: PDF Search

**PDF Search **is another great tool for editing PDFs on the go. It’s handy for finding information within a document on an iPhone, especially if you need to edit a specific part that you can’t see at first glance.

Pro tip: You can also use PDF Search to sync all your PDFs across your devices over Wi-Fi.

App: PDF Pals

Once I have my Mac, I can use **PDF Pals **to do additional edits on any PDF docs I’m working on. This app allows me to query large PDFs and extract insights.

Its built-in AI assistant is easy to use and gives me a quick summary of a document, so I don’t have to read the whole thing. Superb!

How to make a PDF on iPhone? It’s easy when you follow my tips

It’s great to have so many tips for working with PDFs, whether I’m on my Mac or my iPhone. Being able to make quick edits on the go is so convenient (though I should probably learn to stop checking my email while traveling… so I can actually switch off).

I got Nitro PDF Pro, PDF Search, and PDF Pals through **Setapp, a platform that gives you access to 250+ Mac and iOS apps for a single monthly subscription, including many [productivity tools](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68d3b417a02c8191891aee9ff68715f4-productivity-tools). I find the apps invaluable not only for editing but also for keeping documents safe and secure. There’s a [7-day free trial](https://my.setapp.com/signup?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=how_i_edit_and_annotate_pdfs_on_iphone_when_my_mac_isnt_around&utm_content=expert/Polina) **that’s great for taking the apps for a spin before you subscribe.

Just before you disappear into the ether

I hope you enjoyed this article. I’ve written some other pieces on PDF management that I think you might like. Here’s how to **sign a PDF on Mac, and my thoughts on essential PDF tools to stay organized**.

Let me know what you think!