You can sign and fill a PDF directly on your iPad using the built-in Files app and its Markup tool. No extra software needed. This guide shows you the steps, plus how to handle scanned documents, compress large files, and fix page orientation.

Open a PDF in the Files App

To get started, make sure your PDF is stored in the Files app. You can add it from an email attachment, a website download, or a cloud service like iCloud Drive. Tap the PDF to open it, then tap the Markup icon (a small circle with a pen tip) at the top right.

The Markup tool lets you draw, add text, and insert a signature. For filling forms, use the text tool to tap inside fields and type. For checkboxes, use the pen or highlighter to mark them.

Add Your Signature

To sign, tap the plus icon (or the signature icon if present) and choose Signature. If you haven't created one yet, draw your signature with your finger or Apple Pencil. You can save it for reuse. Once saved, tap it to place it on the PDF, then drag and resize as needed.

If you need to remove or replace a signature, tap it and hit delete. You can also use the undo button if you make a mistake.

Save a Signature for Later

Your saved signatures stay in the Markup tool, so you can use them on any PDF you open in Files. This saves time if you sign documents often.

Fill Text Fields and Add Notes

For text fields, tap the text tool (a capital “T”) and then tap on the document where you want to add text. A text box appears; type your answer. You can move the box, change the font size, and choose a color.

  • To add a checkmark, use the pen tool to draw a simple “X” or a check.
  • To highlight text, use the highlighter tool and drag over the content.
  • To add a note, use the text tool and type in a small box, then move it to the margin.

When you are done, tap Done to save your changes. The PDF file updates in place, so you don’t need to export a new copy.

Deal with Scanned PDFs and OCR

If your PDF came from a scanner or from the Files app’s Scan Documents feature, it is actually just images of the pages. That means the text is not selectable or searchable until you run OCR (optical character recognition).

To make a scanned PDF searchable, you can use a tool that performs OCR. After OCR, you can select and copy text from the PDF, which is handy if you need to extract a quote or a reference number.

If you only need to view the content, you can skip OCR. But if you plan to search or edit, run OCR first.

Compress, Rotate, and Convert

Large PDFs can be hard to share. You can compress a PDF by reducing the quality of its images. This is done by downsampling the images, which means lowering their resolution or quality. Many online tools and some apps offer this.

If a page is rotated incorrectly in the viewer, that rotation might only be for viewing. To permanently change the rotation, you need a tool that rewrites the file. The same applies to deleting or reordering pages: use a dedicated PDF editor.

Convert to Other Formats

You might need your PDF as a JPG image or as a Word document. Converting a PDF page to JPG gives you an image of that page. Converting to Word gives you editable text, but the layout may shift. Choose based on your needs.

For quick conversions and edits, you can use free online PDF tools like those at PDFBear. They run in your browser, require no installation, and delete files automatically. You can merge, split, compress, delete pages, crop, extract pages, repair, and eSign, plus convert to and from PDF.

Tips for Better Results

  • Keep your Apple Pencil or finger steady when signing; you can redo the signature if it looks messy.
  • If you scan a document with your iPhone or iPad camera, choose the “Most Compatible” format in Settings > Camera > Formats to save photos as JPG, which some systems prefer over the default HEIC.
  • When filling a form, zoom in to tap the correct field.
  • After editing, check the file size. If it’s too large, compress it.

With these steps, you can handle most PDF tasks on your iPad without leaving the Files app. For more advanced needs, a browser-based tool like PDFBear covers the rest.