How to Properly Read a PDF on an iPhone
7 Nov 2022
We all have our preferences for mobile device software. Whether this can be called “a rivalry between iOS and Android” is now more or less a friendly comparison between the two side’s supporters, including when it comes to reading PDFs on a mobile phone.
So, can you read a PDF on an iPhone?
Yes, you can! You can do several things with a PDF on your Apple device, but we'll start with the one you're probably most interested in right now – PDF reading.
Reading PDFs with Apple's Books app
If you need to read PDFs just a bit, the Books app on your iPhone might come in handy. The interface is quite simple, and you can find anything you need quickly. This software is also set to read and save any PDF content that you have received via Mail, Messages, or any other app the device operates with, so the workflow is pretty seamless.
If you set your iCloud Drive, you can also manage all types of documents, including the option of reading a PDF on your iPhone within your Apple Books Library. So, whether you are using an iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Mac, the process is equally as simple.
When you receive a PDF document via the ways mentioned above:
Open it and tap the Share icon.
Swipe to find the Books app icon and tap it (in case you don’t see the app, tap More and locate it there).
The PDF will automatically open and will get saved in Books.
You can now find the file in the Library directory under Books.
This process is preferable to using Safari because it will be easier for you to immerse yourself in the content when you want to simply explore and read PDFs on your iPhone. And when we talk about reading here, we mean pure reading mode, free from distractions. Speaking of reading, you can find the reading mode icon on the top left corner of your screen (once you open a website). A two-letter symbol marks the starting point, and after you tap on it, you are offered a couple of options. One of these is Reader View, allowing you to experience just the text in front of you without any distractions.
Reading PDFs with third-party apps
While you have some built-in tools for reading a PDF on an iPhone, it may not do the job for you for whatever reason. If you are searching for a new iPhone PDF reader app that is more suited to your needs, the choices are quite abundant, with most options offering much more than simply viewing documents – after all, you never know when you will need to work with a PDF beyond just opening it, right?
Understandably, many users these days prefer to aim for PDF software that gives them a bit more bang for their buck, a more spiced-up version of your typical PDF reader for an iPhone, if you will. One such app is MobiPDF, which brings a whole new dimension to your PDF documents. Armed with this app, you will also be able to edit, annotate, convert, fill and sign, and even protect your documents in addition to reading them on your iPhone.
But as we mentioned earlier, it's a vast ocean out there, and plenty of PDF reader apps are waiting to be explored. Some of them are plain readers while others offer you a bunch of features, such as top-to-bottom PDF editing. Let's explore what else you can do with capable PDF software in your hands, just to make the choice easier for you.
How to create and convert PDFs
If you are looking for even better ways to read PDFs on iPhone, there’s always something new to include in your arsenal. When you use this file format in your work, it is almost certain that you will need to edit PDFs in a certain way or create new documents from scratch. Needless to day, this goes for both written and visual content. Luckily, MobiPDF allows you to do all of this right from your iPhone, anywhere, and at any time. You can also freely convert PDFs to Microsoft Office formats and back on the go from your phone or even your web browser (that's right, we also have a free web tool).
But let's not get too sidetracked – here is how you can easily create and convert PDFs from your iPhone.
Create a PDF on an iPhone
Creating a new PDF is effortless with MobiPDF. Here are the steps:
1. Launch the app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Create Blank to generate a new PDF file.
3. Modify your blank PDF to your liking, for instance by tapping Text Box to add custom text or type freely.
4. Tap on Comment to add notes and other markup elements like highlights, underlines, strikethroughs, free draws, images, and more.
Scan to PDF on an iPhone
Even more options exist to create a PDF on an iPhone from scratch. One of the easiest and most interactive ways of doing this is by using your mobile phone camera to take a photo (scan) and turn it into a PDF. It all happens in a few simple steps:
1. Open the app and tap the Scan button.
2. Allow MobiPDF access to your iPhone camera.
3. Take a photo of the document or other content you want to turn into a PDF.
4. Make adjustments if necessary.
5. Tap the Save button to confirm the changes.
6. Name your document appropriately.
7. Tap Save to create your new scanned PDF.
Convert PDFs on an iPhone
Aside from the PDF creating feature, when choosing your premier PDF app for iPhone, you could also consider the ability to convert PDFs into other formats and vice versa. MobiPDF has the option to convert PDFs to the most common file formats and back (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, just to name a few). For instance, with MobiPDF, you can easily convert:
Word to PDF
Excel to PDF
PPT to PDF
PDF to Word
PDF to Excel
PDF to ePub
The process of performing all these conversions is as seamless as doing anything else within the app:
1. Open MobiPDF.
2. Tap on More.
3. Find your desired option under Convert.
4. Navigate to the file you want to convert.
5. Choose up to three languages present in the document for improved conversion results.
6. Tap Next → Convert.
7. That's it – you're all set!
Customize your reading experience with MobiPDF
Reading can be fun, but reading PDFs on an iPhone can also be modified according to your needs and preferences. MobiPDF offers a variety of options to enhance your reading experience, whether you're doing work or reading your favorite novel.
For example, you can enable night mode to avoid unnecessary eye strain if you're a late-night reader. Another useful feature is switching between different view modes. Let's take a look at how this works in MobiPDF:
1. Open the file in MobiPDF.
2. Tap the View Settings icon in the lower right part of the screen.
3. Choose between the following options:
- Switch between Continuous Scroll and Page View to set how you’d like to go through the document
- Toggle the Night Mode button to switch to a darker app theme that's easier on the eyes.
- Tap the Two Pages at Once option to split your screen and visualize two pages at the same time.
- Activate Keep Screen On if you want to prevent your screen from dimming or turning off.
Final thoughts
These days, PDFs are pretty much unavoidable, so you might as well get capable software to work with them. But while your iPhone comes with competent PDF viewing solutions right out of the box, there may come a time when you need to edit, convert, or sign a PDF, which is when you want something more advanced like MobiPDF – an all-rounded iPhone PDF reader app that will serve you well anytime you need it to. Throw in the flexible conversion and markup options and you get a fully featured PDF package at a great price.
But let's not make any empty promises – why don't you go ahead and try MobiPDF for yourself?
Alexander Petkov is an experienced content strategist with a BA in English Language and a keen passion for PDF technology and office software. When he's not wrangling words, you can find him exploring the latest AI trends, composing tunes, and spending quality time with his family.
