How to add a signature to a PDF on iPhone (3 ways)
Updated July 2026
Someone emailed you a PDF and needs it signed. You’re on your iPhone. Here are the three real ways to do it, from “built-in and free” to “fastest and cleanest” — including the parts Apple’s built-in tools don’t handle well.
Option 1 — iOS Markup (built in, free)
iOS can sign PDFs without any extra app:
- Open the PDF (from Mail, Files, or Messages) and tap the Markup icon (the pen tip).
- Tap + → Signature.
- Draw your signature with your finger, then drag it onto the signature line — tap it and drag a corner dot if you need to resize the signature on the PDF.
- Tap Done and reply with the signed file.
Good: free, already on your phone. The catches: Markup gives you exactly one saved signature style, there’s no automatic date/initials/text fields, multi-page contracts get fiddly, and the signature sits as an annotation rather than being flattened into the document — some recipients’ software lets them move or delete it, and some printers drop it entirely. If that’s already happened to you, here’s how to flatten a signed PDF on iPhone.
Option 2 — the Files app
The Files app uses the same Markup engine: long-press a PDF → Quick Look → Markup icon → signature. Same strengths, same limitations as Option 1. It’s most useful when the PDF is already saved in iCloud Drive.
Option 3 — a dedicated signature app (best for anything beyond one quick scribble)
A purpose-built signature app for iPhone like Signed exists for the gaps Markup leaves:
- A real signature library. Draw once, or generate a handwritten-style signature with AI, and reuse it on every document — consistent and clean.
- All the fields, not just the signature. Date (auto-filled with today), name, initials, text, checkmarks — placed exactly where they belong.
- A flattened, final PDF. Signed exports the document with your signature baked into the page, so it can’t be nudged or stripped by someone else’s PDF reader.
- Privacy. Signed is local-first — the document never leaves your iPhone. With cloud e-sign services, your lease or NDA goes to someone’s server first.
The flow: import the PDF from Mail/Files/Photos → tap where the signature goes → place it (plus the date, which fills itself) → tap Finish → share the signed copy back.
Which one should you use?
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| One-off, single signature, casual document | Markup (Option 1) |
| PDF already in iCloud Drive | Files (Option 2) |
| You sign things regularly, need dates/initials, or care that the output is final and private | A signature app (Option 3) |
Before you sign: get a signature you like
If you’ve never been happy with your finger-drawn signature, spend one minute in our free signature generator — draw it big (steadier), or type your name and pick from 15 handwriting styles. Save the version you like and use it everywhere.
Related: How to sign a PDF without printing · How to draw a signature online · Signed for iPhone
Signing it in the app it arrived in
Most paperwork turns up as an attachment in something — mail, a chat, a cloud drive. These walk through getting the file out of that app, signed, and sent back, and most of them do it with Apple’s Markup, which is free and already on your iPhone.
See a name in cursive
A free preview that renders a first name in 15 real cursive and handwriting fonts, in the browser — no signup, nothing to install. Handy if you are still deciding what your signature should look like before you draw it.