How to Sign a PDF on iPhone with Your Finger

An iPhone screen is the easiest place to draw a signature. Open Sign PDF in Safari, add the PDF from the Files app, sign with your finger, tap the signature line to place it, and download the signed copy. There's no app to install and nothing is uploaded. iPhones also have a built-in Markup tool, which is handy for one-off signatures — both methods are below.

Sign with your finger in Safari

1. Save the PDF to the Files app first. From Mail, touch and hold the attachment and choose Save to Files; from WhatsApp or Messages, open it, tap Share, then Save to Files.
2. Open Sign PDF in Safari and tap the box to add the PDF (choose Choose Files if iOS asks).
3. The PDF opens on its last page. Under Your signature, keep Draw selected and sign in the box with your finger. Tap Clear if you want another go.
4. Tap Use this signature.
5. Scroll down to the page and tap where the signature goes. Drag it onto the line with your finger, and use Size to make it fit.
6. Tap Download signed PDF, then Download in Safari's prompt.

The signed file is in the Downloads folder in the Files app. Open it and tap Share to send it back by Mail, WhatsApp or Messages.

Tips for a good finger signature

• Turn the phone sideways before you sign. The signing box gets wider, and long signatures fit better.
• Sign slowly. Fast strokes on glass come out jagged.
• Make it bigger than you think, then shrink it with the Size slider — it stays smooth.
• Use a stylus if you have one; Apple Pencil works on iPad.

Typing or uploading instead

Tap Type and enter your name for a neat handwriting-style signature, or Upload image to use a photo of your paper signature (sign a white sheet, photograph it, and the white is removed automatically). Both are faster than drawing if you sign documents often.

The built-in method: Markup

iPhones can sign PDFs without any website:

1. Open the PDF in the Files app or from a Mail attachment.
2. Tap the Markup button (a pen tip in a circle).
3. Tap + and choose Signature. Create a signature with your finger the first time; iOS remembers it.
4. Drag the signature into place, resize it with the corner handles, and tap Done.

Markup is quick for a single signature. Use Sign PDF when you want to type or upload your signature, place it on several pages, or keep the original file unchanged — Markup in Files edits the PDF you opened, while the browser tool creates a new signed copy.

Filling in the rest of the form

Forms usually need a name, a date and some answers as well as a signature. Do those first:

• Fillable forms: Fill PDF Form lists every field so you can type into them easily on a small screen.
• Forms without fields: Add Text to PDF lets you tap anywhere on the page and type.

Then sign the completed PDF.

Got a paper form to sign?

Sign it with a pen, then make it a PDF: photograph each page and combine the photos with Image to PDF, or use Scan Documents in the Files app (tap ⋯ at the top). That gives you a clean PDF to send.

Frequently asked questions

Does this work on iPad?

Yes — the steps are the same, and an Apple Pencil gives the most natural signature.

Is it safe?

The PDF and your signature are processed in Safari on your iPhone. Nothing is uploaded, and nothing is saved after you close the page.

Will the person I send it to see my signature?

Yes. The signature becomes part of the PDF, so it shows in every PDF viewer, on any device, and when printed.