How to Remove Annotations from a PDF [4 Simple Ways]

PDF documents are often filled with additional text, colored lines, and notes. Cleaning them up will help return to the original version of the file and eliminate distractions.

Below we have explored some efficient and free tools for deleting unnecessary comments from a PDF online or offline, covering diverse devices including Windows, Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Quickly Remove Annotations from PDFs with a Free PDF Editor

Designed as a lightweight PDF reader and editor, PDFgear provides a comprehensive set of features for text and image modification.

This application performs efficiently on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The intuitive interface smooths out the steps removing sticky notes or text boxes of a PDF.

It lists the revised part, author, and comment type to help quickly navigate to the comment.

Step 1. Get PDFgear. Click “Open File” and choose a PDF to open.

Step 2. Click “Comments” in the sidebar. All the annotations will show up on the left side of the window.

Step 3. Choose the comment you want to delete and click on the “Bin” icon at the top of the comment panel.

Step 4. When the comments are deleted. Click the “Save” icon in the upper left corner of the window to save the change.

Remove Annotations from a PDF Online for Free

PDFgear’s PDF editor online is also available, enabling PDF annotation creation and deletion on all sorts of operating systems.

Unlike other online tools which set limitations on use, PDFgear requires no fees and registration. It’s ads-free and watermark-free.

Visit PDFgear online editor and let’s get started:

Step 1. Drag and drop your PDF into the tool, or click “Upload PDF file” to select and import your document.

Step 2. Double-click on any annotation in the PDF to open the comment panel. Then, select the comment you want to delete, click the three-dot button, and choose “Delete.”

Repeat this process for each comment you want to remove.

Step 3. After removal, click the “download file” button to save the new PDF.

Batch Remove Annotations from PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro offers advanced comment viewing, replying, and re-editing features.

PDF pages are often covered in a dense fog of remarks, and Acrobat Pro’s shortcut for deleting all notes can save you a lot of time.

The drawback, however, is the software’s costly subscription fee. But if you’re already a member of Adobe, follow the steps:

Step 1. Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro and click “File” > “Open” > Choose a PDF to upload.

Step 2. Choose “Comment” in the sidebar. In the comment panel, expand all comments. Press and hold “Shift” (“Command ⌘” on macOS) click the first comment, scroll down to the last comment, and click it.

Now, all the annotations are selected. Right-click any of them and choose “Delete” for batch removal.

Remove PDF Annotations on Mac with the Native Preview App

The built-in image viewer, Preview, also functions as a PDF editor, allowing you to delete annotations such as shapes, signatures, notes, and more.

Without any app installation, you can quickly delete unwanted comments in a few clicks.

Step 1. Open a PDF with Preview on your macOS device.

Step 2. Press Command ⌘ + I to open the “Inspector” window. Choose Annotation (pen icon) and you’ll see all annotations below with type, author, and date.

Step 3. Locate the comment and press Backspace to delete it.

FAQs

How do I permanently delete comments from a PDF?

PDFgear PDF Editor allows you to permanently delete PDF comments online and offline. Open a PDF with it > Click the Comment option in the sidebar > Choose comments and click the delete icon at the top of the panel > Save the PDF after deletion.

Can annotations be removed from a PDF without altering the original text?

Yes, annotations can be removed from a PDF without altering the original text. Tools like PDFgear or Preview allow you to delete annotations such as highlights, shapes, and notes while preserving the underlying text and content intact.

Can I remove annotations from a secured or locked PDF?

Generally, you cannot remove annotations from a secured or locked PDF without unlocking it first. Secured PDFs restrict modifications, including the removal of annotations. To remove annotations, you would need the password or necessary permissions to unlock the PDF.

How to remove ink annotations in PDF?

To remove ink annotations in a PDF, you can use the free tool PDFgear to erase the lines or choose the comment feature to delete the whole annotation. Open the PDF with PDFgear > Locate and right-click the ink annotation > Choose “Delete.”