How to Sign a PDF on iPhone Without Printing (Markup vs Scanner App)

By Xeplin · Published June 5, 2026 · Updated September 21, 2026

A contract lands in your inbox as a PDF, and the sender wants it signed and returned today. The old answer was a printer, a pen, and a scanner. On an iPhone you need none of them. This guide shows the two ways that actually work, the built-in Markup tool and a dedicated scanner app, when to use which, and how to avoid the mistakes that make a phone-signed PDF look unprofessional.

The short version

• One PDF, once in a while: open it in the Files app, tap the Markup pen, add a signature. Free and already on your phone.
• Paper documents, or more than one signature: use Scanner App. It scans the page, lets you save several signatures and initials, and exports a clean PDF in one flow.
• Never photograph a signed printout. The result is a crooked, shadowed image that recipients have to squint at.

Method 1: Sign with Markup in Files or Mail

Every iPhone since iOS 11 has Markup built in. It works on any PDF you can open in Files, Mail, or Photos.

1. Open the PDF in the Files app. If it arrived by email, tap the attachment, then the share icon, then Save to Files.
2. Tap the Markup icon, the pen tip in a circle at the top right.
3. Tap the plus button at the bottom right and choose Add Signature.
4. Sign with your finger on the white line. Tap Done. The signature is saved for next time.
5. Drag the signature onto the signature line. Use the blue handles to resize it.
6. Tap Done, then share the file back by email or message.

Signing from Mail is even shorter: press and hold the attachment, choose Markup and Reply, sign, and the signed copy is attached to your reply automatically.

Where Markup falls short: it keeps only one signature style unless you delete and redraw, there is no separate initials option for multi-page contracts, and dates or checkboxes have to be added with the text tool one by one. If the document is still on paper, you first need to scan it with another app before Markup can touch it.

Method 2: Sign with Scanner App, paper or PDF in one flow

Scanner App treats signing as part of handling a document rather than a separate step. You can scan a paper form and sign it in the same session, or import a PDF someone sent you.

1. Open the document. Scan the paper version with the camera, or import a PDF from Files, Mail, or any share sheet.
2. Tap Sign and draw your signature once with your finger. It is saved to the app, so you never draw it again.
3. Save more than one. Add a second full signature or a set of initials. Long contracts often want initials on every page and a full signature at the end.
4. Place and resize. Tap where the signature belongs, then drag and pinch until it sits on the line at a natural size.
5. Add the date or initials wherever the form asks for them.
6. Export and share. Send the signed PDF by email, message, or save it to Files or iCloud Drive.

Everything happens on the phone. There is no account to create and no upload step, so signing works with no internet connection, and your saved signature stays on your device. The PDF signer feature page has the full detail.

When the document is still on paper

Half of the "sign this" requests still arrive as paper: a school form, a lease, a delivery slip. The move is to scan first and sign second, never the other way around. Scanner App detects the page edges, straightens the capture, and removes the desk background, so what you sign is a clean PDF rather than a photo. Multi-page forms can be scanned as one document, signed where needed, and sent as a single file. Our guide on scanning documents to PDF on iPhone covers lighting, filters, and batch scanning.

Signing a PDF someone emailed you

The whole round trip on a phone looks like this:

1. Open the email and tap the PDF attachment.
2. Tap the share icon and pick Scanner App, or use Markup and Reply if you prefer the built-in route.
3. Sign, add the date, and export.
4. Reply to the original email and attach the signed file, so the thread stays intact for both sides.

Rename the file before sending, for example Lease-Agreement-Signed.pdf. A file called Scan 12.pdf makes the other party open it just to find out what it is.

Is a signature added this way legally valid?

For most everyday agreements, yes. In the United States the ESIGN Act of 2000 and in the European Union the eIDAS regulation both recognize electronic signatures, and a drawn signature placed on a document is the same thing you produce by printing, signing, and scanning. Consent forms, rental agreements, freelance contracts, HR paperwork, and delivery confirmations are routinely signed this way.

The exceptions are documents where the law asks for something more than an image: notarized deeds, wills in many jurisdictions, and some government filings require a certified or qualified digital signature or a physical one. If the other party sent you a form to sign, they expect exactly what you are about to give them. If you are unsure, ask them, not the app. None of this is legal advice, only a description of how these signatures are commonly treated.

Make your signature look like your signature

• Draw big, then shrink. Sign using the whole width of the screen. A large drawing scaled down looks smooth; a small one scaled up looks jagged.
• Turn the phone sideways if the signature pad allows it, for more room and a more natural hand motion.
• Use your finger, not a nail. A fingertip gives a consistent line. If you own an Apple Pencil compatible iPad, sign there once and the saved signature syncs through Markup.
• Keep two versions: a full signature and initials. Scanner App lets you save both and switch between them.
• Redraw until you like it. You will use this one drawing on every document for years. Spend two minutes on it.

Common problems and fixes

• The recipient says the signature is missing or moved. Their PDF viewer is ignoring annotation layers. Export the file as a new PDF rather than sharing the annotated original, which flattens the signature into the page.
• The Markup pen icon is not there. The PDF is open in a browser or a preview that does not support editing. Save it to Files first, then open it from there.
• The signature is pixelated. It was drawn too small. Delete it and redraw at full screen width.
• The form has fields that will not accept a signature. Some fillable PDFs lock their fields. Flatten or print to PDF first, then sign the flattened copy.
• The file is too large to email. Scanned pages in color are heavy. Rescan in black and white or grayscale, which typically cuts the size by two thirds.

For a long contract with initials on every page, follow how to sign and return a lease. What the larger screens change is in signing on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo.

Quick answers

How do I sign a PDF on my iPhone for free?

Scanner App is free to download: open or scan the document, tap Sign, draw your signature once, place it on the line, and export the signed PDF. For a quick one-off with no extra app, the Markup pen in the Files app can also add a signature.

Can I sign a document that was sent to me as a photo?

Yes. Import the photo into Scanner App, which crops and straightens it into a proper document, then sign it and export as PDF. The result looks far better than signing on top of a photo.

Can I save more than one signature?

In Scanner App you can save several signatures and initials and pick the right one for each spot. Markup stores one signature at a time per style.

Is my signature uploaded anywhere?

Not by Scanner App. Signatures and documents stay on your iPhone, and signing works offline. Markup also stores your signature locally, synced through your own iCloud account.

Does a phone signature count as a legal signature?

For everyday agreements in the US and EU, a drawn electronic signature is recognized under the ESIGN Act and eIDAS. Documents that require notarization or a qualified digital certificate are the exception. This is general information, not legal advice; when in doubt, ask the party requesting the signature.

Sign it and send it back

The document is already on your phone. Download Scanner App, draw your signature once, and return the next contract in under a minute, no printer involved.