iPads are masterful devices for enhancing the productivity and growth of businesses and career-driven individuals. It’s no secret that PDF documents have become a staple for exchanging information; I find having the tools to manage them effectively is a powerful tool that saves time and guarantees efficiency. So, how do you fill out a PDF on an iPad?
How To Fill Out A PDF On An Ipad:
- Find and download an intuitive PDF editing app
- Open the PDF editing app on your iPad
- Choose the PDF document you want to fill out
- Select Text Mode to start editing your PDF
- Tap on the screen and fill out your PDF document
1. Find And Download An Intuitive PDF Editing App
Nowadays, plenty of apps exist on the Apple Store to help you fill out PDF documents on your iPad. While it may sound promising, it can also make it tricky to find something that is complex, mobile, and able to accomplish advanced features like annotation and signing. A good app should also be intuitive, which is why we did the research for you and found the best apps to edit your PDF on your iPad.
PDFelement
PDFelement comes at a 4.6-star rating on the Apple Store and remains a strong competitor in productivity, offering users a wide array of annotating tools ranging from highlighters to shapes. Furthermore, it provides features like stamps, annotating, strikeouts, and more. Users may also use their iPad pro pencils to finalize documents and inscribe their signatures.
You may modify your PDF document by touching on the text you wish to change, plus you can even enter your handwritten signature or photographs into the form.
Additionally, you may print or convert PDF files to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint from your iPad or iPhone. PDFelement is not an iOS-only product but has Windows, macOS, and Android accessibility. Files may be readily shared and transferred across devices.
The basic version of PDFelement is free, but users can opt for a one-year, two-year, or lifetime subscription. You can see a comparison of the free and paid versions here.

Adobe Fill & Sign
Adobe Fill & Sign comes at a 4.8-star rating on the Apple Store and has excellent features for editing and signing PDF documents on your iPad. One of its most splendid features is its ability to use your iPad camera to scan a hard-copy document, convert it to a PDF, and annotate and sign it immediately without the need for printing or faxing.
Users who are responsible for signing off on multiple documents can choose to save their signature to the app so that they can save time on having to sign manually.
You can also import PDF files from cloud storage services like Googe Drive, Dropbox, and Box. After editing your PDF document, users have the option to save the document onto their iPad or iPhone and immediately share it with other parties.
Of course, you can also import documents from cloud services for quick editing and signage using your finger or stylus. Afterward, you can re-upload it to maintain a productive workflow.
Adobe Fill & Sign is free to use, with no option for a paid subscription.
PDF Expert
PDF Expert is a must-have app for iPad users. The advanced tool allows you to read, annotate, store, highlight, draw with your finger, etc.
It has a one-of-a-kind PDF Review Mode that allows users to effortlessly modify and review PDF documents by selecting a paragraph to edit.
Users may also examine the final versions of modified documents in the PDF Preview Mode. You can obtain and save files from various sources, including email attachments, Google Drive, and Dropbox.
Color tags, Favorites, and Drag & Drop capabilities make PDF Expert an invaluable file editor, allowing you to store and organize movies, images, music, and other media. As such, PDF Expert is one of the most flexible iPad PDF apps.
You may customize stamps for frequently used annotations, change the PDF structure, compress numerous pages, add password protection, and sync with iCloud.
PDF Expert is available for free on the App Store. The free edition allows you to view and annotate PDF documents, take notes and leave comments, scribble with your Apple Pencil or finger, complete forms, add stickers to PDFs, and work from the cloud.
For users hoping for a more professional experience, PDF Expert offers an additional PRO pack with advanced features like text editing, customizable toolbar, converting files to PDF, etc.

2. Open The PDF Editing App On Your iPad
When you install an app, it’s customary to find a shortcut on your home screen. You might need to swipe left or right if it’s on a different screen.
3. Choose PDF Document You Want To Fill Out
You can navigate to the PDF document you want to fill out and select to open it with your PDF app or open the PDF while the app is already open.
4. Select Text Mode To Start Editing Your PDF
Your option for editing text might look a little different depending on the app you use. That said, most, if not all, apps generally denote their Text Editor with an icon that looks like a capital letter T.
- PDFelement has a capital letter T at the middle-top of the app for filling out PDF documents.
- Adobe Fill & Sign requires that you open the PDF document you want to fill out, click share in the top right, and select copy to Adobe Fill & Sign.
- PDF Expert has an option to Edit PDF as the second option on the toolbar running across the top of the app window.
5. Tap On The Screen And Fill Out Your PDF Document
Use your finger or stylus to tap in the information box you want to fill in or the line where you want to put your signature.
The apps can also allow you to change the font style, size, color, and text alignment, making it perfect for annotation. Afterward, remember to tap the save button in the top-left or top-right of the app window to save your changes.
Where To Next?
This blog is a blog dedicated to using modern computing devices to run and manage a business. If you’re interested in using an iPad for your business, either as an entrepreneur, a small business owner or for your employees to use I recommend reading the following articles: