How to fill out a PDF form on iPhone

There are three kinds of PDF form, and the right way to fill one depends on which you have:

• Fillable forms have real fields built in. Tap a box and a cursor appears.
• Flat forms look like forms but are just text and lines. Tapping does nothing.
• Scanned forms are photos or scans of a paper form. The whole page is a picture.

Method 1: the free Files app

For a fillable form, the Files app that comes with your iPhone is often all you need:

1. Open the PDF in Files.
2. Tap each field and type.
3. Tap Done. The values are saved into the PDF.

For a flat or scanned form, Files can only place a text box on top: tap the Markup pen, then + → Text, and drag the box into place. It works, but you'll be resizing and lining up boxes by hand, and you can't remove printed prompts like "Enter your name".

Method 2: PDF Genius (fillable, flat and scanned)

1. Open the form. In the Library, tap + and choose Import PDF, Scan Document (for paper) or Photos to PDF.
2. Fillable form: tap ⋯ → Fill Form Fields. You get a clean list of every field. Type the values and tap Apply. They're written into the PDF itself, so they survive printing and emailing.
3. Scanned or flat form with prompts: tap Edit Text → Replace, then tap the prompt inside a box (for example "Please enter a last name") and type your answer. The prompt is removed and your text matches the form's font and background.
4. Empty box: tap Edit Text → Add Text and tap exactly where you want to write.
5. Sign with ⋯ → Add Signature, then send it with ⋯ → Export & Share, or Print.

Fill fillable, flat and scanned forms in one app.

Download on the App Store

Common problems

"Nothing happens when I tap a box." The form isn't fillable. Use Add Text, or Replace if the box has a printed prompt.

"My text doesn't line up." With Add Text, tap the exact starting point inside the box. Use ⋯ → Undo Last Edit and try again.

"The scan is crooked or blurry." Re-scan with Scan Document. It crops and straightens the page, and sharper scans give much better results.