How to Edit a PDF on a Laptop, Mac or iPad (Free, No Software)

The Short Answer

Open Edit PDF in any browser, upload your file, and click the text you want to change, or add new text, images, shapes, highlights and drawings on top of the page. Then download the edited file. It works on a Windows laptop, a Mac and an iPad, and the file is processed on your device, not uploaded.

What You Can Edit

• Existing text. Use the Edit PDF Text tool and click a paragraph to change or replace it.
• New text. Add text anywhere on the page, and pick the font, size and colour.
• Images. Add a logo, photo or stamp.
• Erase. Cover something with a whiteout box.
• Mark up. Highlight, draw, and add rectangles and lines.

Results depend on the file. Text in a normal PDF edits well. A scanned page is a picture, so there is no real text to change. For that, run OCR PDF first.

How to Edit a PDF on a Windows Laptop

1. Open Edit PDF in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
2. Select your PDF.
3. Choose a tool from the toolbar, such as Edit PDF Text or Add Text.
4. Click the page and make your change.
5. Download the edited PDF.

Windows has no built-in PDF editor, so a browser tool is the easiest route that needs no installation.

How to Edit a PDF on a Mac

You have two options. The first is Preview, which is built in and good for markup: highlights, notes, shapes, signatures and text boxes. It is limited when you want to change existing text. The second is Edit PDF in Safari or Chrome, which can edit existing paragraphs as well as adding new content.

How to Edit a PDF on an iPad

1. Open Edit PDF in Safari.
2. Select the PDF from the Files app.
3. Tap a tool, then tap the page to add or change content.
4. Download the result, and it is saved to your Files app.

The Files app and the Markup tool also let you draw and add text on a PDF, but they are mostly for annotation.

Edits Often Needed After the Main Change

• Delete extra pages with Remove Pages.
• Rotate pages that are sideways with Rotate PDF.
• Add page numbers with Add Page Numbers.
• Sign it with Sign PDF.
• Shrink it for email with Compress PDF.

What If the PDF Is Locked or Secured?

If a PDF is password-protected or blocks editing, the editor may not be able to change it. If you have the password, or the file only has an editing restriction, unlock it with Unlock PDF first, then edit the unlocked copy. See how to unlock a PDF for editing.

Keeping Your Document Private

Many editors upload your file to a server. PDF Section edits in your browser, so contracts and personal documents stay on your device.

Quick Answers

• Is it free? Yes, with no sign-up.
• Will the fonts match? For existing text, the tool tries to match the original font, size and colour. If the original font cannot be reused, it uses a close substitute.
• Can I edit a scanned PDF? Run OCR first, because a scan has no real text.