How to Change Date in a PDF File for Free

Changing dates on a PDF comes in handy when you need to update a contract, correct a mistake, or revise a schedule. Fixing dates ensures your PDF stays relevant and avoids confusion.

On this page, you’ll find some free and easy methods to change date text on PDF files on a computer or mobile phone.

Change Dates on a PDF with the Same Formatting

PDFgear is a free and powerful editor that allows you to edit any existing text in PDF, including the text of PDF dates.

It allows you to edit or delete dates in PDF files as you would in Microsoft Word while preserving the original formatting. It’s like it was never changed!

PDFgear is free to use, and it works on Windows and Mac. Now get it to get started!

Step 1. Download and install PDFgear on your computer, open it, and click Open File to open the PDF you need.

Step 2. Go to the Edit toolbox and click the Edit Text option from there, this will lead you to the text editing mode.

Step 3. Tap on the text of the PDF date, and you can intuitively delete or edit the date text.

Click Exit Editing once done.

Step 4. As you can see, the new text will follow the original text font, without formatting issues.

If you’re happy with the result, click the Save as button in the upper-left corner to save the modified PDF.

Change Dates on a PDF Online Now

PDFgear online PDF editor offers a convenient method to change dates on a PDF, without software installation.

It allows you to white out existing dates on PDF files, and replace them with new ones.

PDFgear is free to use, there’s no signup, and there’s no watermark.

Step 1. Go to PDFgear online PDF editor, and click Select PDF File to open the PDF with dates.

Step 2. When the PDF is opened, click on the Shapes button on the menubar above, and click Rectangle.

Then draw a rectangle to cover the unwanted date.

Step 3. On the upper menubar, click on the Change Color and Change Stroke Color buttons and change them both to white.

Step 4. When the old date is wiped out, click the Free Text button from the upper menubar and click on the PDF to add it.

Double-click the added textbox and type in the new date. For consistency, you may need to pick a apropos font type and font size.

Step 5. To make sure the date changes can’t be undone, click on the upper-right Print file button. Otherwise, use the Download file feature.

Change Dates on a PDF in Mobile

If you’re working on the go with a mobile device instead of a desktop computer, PDFgear can also be of help.

PDFgear mobile app allows you to change dates in PDF documents on iPhone and Android phones.

Now get the PDFgear app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play!

Step 1. Open the PDFgear app on your mobile phone, tap the lower-right Plus button to add PDF to PDFgear, then tap on the PDF to open it.

Step 2. Tap the upper-right Edit button.

Step 3. Tap the top Annotate button to go to the Edit Text mode.

Step 4. Tap on the date in the PDF document, and select Edit in the pop-up menu.

Step 5. Tap to select and delete unwanted dates, and type in a new one. When you’re done editing, tap the top-left < button to quit editing.

Step 6. Lastly, tap the upper-right triple dots button to save or share the PDF with a new date.

Change the Created and Modified Date of a PDF

The properties of a PDF file include information such as its name, size, folder path, owner creation date and time, and the date and time of the last modification.

You may need to change the creation date for a PDF file. Every PDF file has a “Remove Properties” feature which allows you to change the creation date of a PDF file.

Step 1: Right-click your PDF file and select Properties.

Step 2: Click the Details tab. Then click the link Remove Properties and Personal Information.

Step 3: On the Remove Properties dialog, select Create a copy with all properties removed. An identical file is created in the same folder.

Step 4: Right-click the identical file and select Details. You can see the creation date is changed to the current date.

FAQs

How to change dates on a scanned PDF?

Since scanned PDFs are all image-based, you can’t directly change dates on them. You can use PDFgear to convert scanned PDF to editable Word document using OCR, change the dates in Microsoft Word, and then save the Word document back to PDF.

Why can’t I edit the date on my PDF?

The PDF may be locked, require a password, or be an image-based document that needs OCR processing before editing.

Will editing a date affect the document’s authenticity?

Yes, modifying a PDF could invalidate legally binding documents or agreements, so ensure compliance before making changes.

How do I ensure that the changed date appears consistent with the rest of the document?

When changing a date, ensure that the font, size, and color match the surrounding text. Pay attention to the document’s formatting style (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY vs. DD/MM/YYYY) to maintain consistency.