How to Highlight PDF on iPad [3 Methods Introduced]

Using an iPad is a great way to help you read and edit PDF files easily. But what if you are looking to highlight parts of the PDF file and even write notes on it? Let us check the simple and easier options that can help you achieve the task.

👉Directly download PDFgear, the highly recommended app to highlight PDFs on iPad and iPhone, and it’s completely free to use.

Highlight PDF on iPad Free without Limits

When it comes to editing and handling your PDF files on iPad, the PDFgear for iOS app should be the best pick. In addition to highlighting and other annotation options, it also provides you with a wide range of PDF editing and management options.

The free and no-registration option makes it the best PDf highlighter tool. However, it also comes with a downside where you are expected to download an app for the purpose. It can also work as the best PDF scanner for iOS.

Step 1. Import the PDF File

Launch the PDFgear app, go to the file explorer section, and import the PDF file from your iPad.

Step 2. Access the Editing Tools 

In the upper-right corner, click “Edit” > Tap the “Highlight” button > Choose a color you like > Press and drag to select the highlighted area > Hit the “Done” button.

Step 3. Save the Highlighted PDF

Once done, save the file and share it with the person you want to send the highlighted or annotated PDF file to. You can decide to save by making changes to the original file or decide to rename the file to save it separately.

Highlight PDF on iPad Using Pages App

Pages is an app that helps you highlight text so that you can let people find what you think about the text. The highlighted section will stand out from the rest of the document. You can choose from among different highlight colors. Each of the editors or users on the app will have different colors assigned.

You can highlight and add notes to your selected text. It works best as the built-in option on iOS and iPadOS. However, it is a little complex in nature. It can also be used to edit your PDF files on your iPhone to a certain extent.

Step 1. Launch the Pages app on your iPad. If you do not have it on your device, you can install it from the Apple app store.

Step 2. Select the text you want to highlight on the PDF. You can drag with a mouse to select the text or even use the Shift key to select the text to highlight.

Step 3. Highlight the text you want by clicking on Insert -> Highlight. You can locate the option from the menu bar. That should do it, and your text is highlighted.

Highlight PDF on iPad Using Books App

Apple Books is one of the excellent options to help you annotate and highlight PDFs. If you are looking to highlight a PDF file, it is a good idea to use the built-in Apple Books app. The free and inbuilt functionality makes it stand out from the rest.

However, it may be a little cumbersome to use. It may not be that easy and simple to use the app. The functionality is also a little limited.

Step 1. Launch the Books app on your iPad and add the PDF file to your file. You can simply use the Insert or Add option to add your PDF to the Books app.

Step 2. Use your Apple Pencil to highlight the word, sentence, or even a paragraph. To select a word, double tap on the text, and to select the sentence or group of words, drag it across with your Apple pencil.

Step 3. Once the text is selected, highlights will automatically be added. You can also configure the color of the highlight. To remove or change the wrongly created highlight, you can tap on the highlighted text and then tap on the trash icon.

How to Highlight PDF on iPad with Apple Pencil?

When highlighting a text in a PDF on an iPad, it is indeed a good idea to use your Apple pencil instead of the Highlighter tool. The Apple pencil provides a better consistency than the highlighter tool.

• You can use the Apple Pencil in Books app as the default option to highlight the text.
• Apple Pencil is an excellent option to highlight small or tightly spaced text. You will not highlight the adjacent text.
• You can also highlight the different texts in different colors to indicate specific importance.
• You can also use Apple Pencil to highlight and add other annotation features.

In Conclusion

Adding a highlight to the PDF file is quite confusing if you are not using the right app or tool. We would assume the three best methods explained here should help you in how to highlight PDF on iPad.

Check out the options and find which among them meets your needs. In our opinion, the PDFgear for iOS excels with an excellent set of features for effective PDF management.