How to make, scan, save, and sign a PDF on iPhone or iPad

Your iPhone or iPad can scan paper, save webpages, mark up forms, add a signature, and send PDFs. Most of the tools are already built in.

The two places to remember are Share and Files.

Save a PDF you received

In Mail, Messages, Safari, or another app:

1. Tap the PDF to open it.
2. Tap Share.
3. Choose Save to Files.
4. Pick On My iPhone/iPad or iCloud Drive, choose a folder, and tap Save.

If you cannot find it later, open Files and look under Recents or Downloads.

Scan paper into a PDF with Files

1. Open Files.
2. Go to the folder where the PDF should live.
3. Tap the More button.
4. Tap Scan Documents.
5. Hold the camera over the page. It can capture automatically.
6. Adjust the corners if needed.
7. Scan more pages, then tap Done and Save.

This route creates a PDF directly in the folder you chose.

Scan with Notes

1. Open a note or create one.
2. Tap the attachment button, then Scan Documents.
3. Capture each page.
4. Tap Done.

Apple's current scanning guide covers both Notes and Files. A scan in Notes is saved as a PDF inside the note; use Share > Save to Files when you need a normal file to upload elsewhere.

Turn a webpage, email, photo, or note into a PDF

For many items:

1. Tap Share.
2. Choose Print.
3. On the print preview, spread two fingers apart on the preview image. It opens as a PDF.
4. Tap Share again.
5. Choose Save to Files or the app you want to send it through.

Some apps show Export as PDF or Create PDF directly. Use that when available.

Fill in and sign a PDF

1. Open the PDF in Files, Mail, or Notes.
2. Tap the Markup pen icon.
3. Use the Add button to add text or a signature.
4. Move and resize the signature.
5. Tap Done.

Save a copy before signing if you need an untouched original. Apple Notes can also add a saved or new signature directly to a scanned document.

Combine or reorder pages

Open the PDF in Files or Notes and look for page thumbnails. Long-press a thumbnail to rotate, insert, or delete a page where those options are available. For a complicated merge, a desktop PDF editor is less fiddly.

Send the PDF

Open the file, tap Share, and choose Mail, Messages, AirDrop, Drive, OneDrive, or another installed app. If the PDF is too large for a message, upload it to cloud storage and send a view-only link.

Do not lose the finished version

After editing:

1. Open Files.
2. Find the PDF in Recents.
3. Long-press it and choose Rename.
4. Use a name like lease-signed-2026-07-28.pdf.
5. Open it once and check the signature.

That final open is your proof that the saved file—not just the preview—contains your work.