The Best Ways to Annotate a PDF on Any Device

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A simple guide to adding comments and edits to PDFs from any device
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Do you need to make notes or annotate a PDF? Fortunately, there are a few different tools that you can use to accomplish this for free. Read on to learn more about the different ways you can annotate PDFs.

Annotate a PDF

Use online tools like Adobe or Smallpdf to annotate and share PDFs easily with others. Or use free built-in tools like Markup with Notes on iPad, Preview on Mac, or in the Edge web browser for Windows.

Section 1 of 5:

Using Adobe Online

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  1. Go to https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/home/ and sign in. You and anyone wanting to read your comments on the PDF must make a free Adobe account. With your limited free account, you can upload and annotate as many PDFs as you need.
    • This is the easiest free solution that everyone can use, whether you have a Mac, Chromebook, or Windows computer. It's only text-based, so if you want to circle, highlight, or draw on PDFs, use another method.
    • This is the best Chromebook option since you don't need to download anything and can simply use your browser.
    • This method also works for Android, iPhone, and iPad.
    • While an account is free with limited functionality, a subscription allows you to do more with Adobe Acrobat , like installing the desktop app. You can get a free trial if you want to use the program for more than annotating PDFs.
  2. It's next to a cloud with an arrow pointing up, then double-click a file in your file explorer to select it.
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  3. Click and drag your mouse over text to select it.
  4. If you want to strikethrough the text and suggest different wording, begin typing immediately. Click your strikethrough to change the color of the line.
    • To highlight the text and add a comment, click the chat bubble icon in the menu that appears above your cursor. Click the highlighted text again to change the highlight color.
    • When you select text, you can also underline or copy it.
      • To reply to a comment, you can click the highlighted text or enter your text in the "Reply" text field in the panel on the right.
  5. Click the circled profile icon at the top of the window (next to a pair of headphones). You can share the document directly to someone's email or you can grab the link to share with others.
    • Make sure this area says "Anyone with the link can comment" and click Copy link . You'll see a green box appear at the bottom of your screen that says "Link copied."
    • Once you share the document either through email or link, viewers can also comment using the same steps. [1]
    • You can also grab an extension for your Chrome or Edge web browser.
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Section 2 of 5:

Using Smallpdf

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  1. Go to https://smallpdf.com/pdf-annotator in a web browser. You don't need an account to use this service.
  2. Use the drop-down arrow to change the location of the files you're looking through, like "From device" or "From Google Drive".
    • Using "From Google Drive" is a good option for Chromebooks that can't download anything.
  3. You can add text or comments with the Text tool (or by pressing "T" on your keyboard), draw on the PDF with the Draw tool (click the drop-down arrow to change between drawing to erasing or highlighting). You can also highlight, underline, strikethrough, or add a squiggle to text.
    • Use the last two icons to add shapes or images to annotate the PDF.
  4. Click Finish in the top-right corner, then download a copy of the annotated PDF for yourself or share it with others.
    • To share the file from Smallpdf, you need to create a free online account. Once you are logged in, you can share the annotated PDF with a link so others can view and further annotate your document.
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Section 3 of 5:

Using Edge

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  1. You can drag and drop a PDF that you want to annotate into an Edge window to open it in the browser.
  2. You can draw, erase, highlight, add text as well as underline, and strikethrough existing text.
  3. Your existing file will be overwritten unless you click the floppy-disc icon with the pencil over it to select "Save as." With "Save as," you can save a file of the annotated PDF as well as the original. [2]
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Section 4 of 5:

Using Preview on Mac

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  1. You can open Preview and go to File > Open or you can right-click a file in Finder and select Open with > Preview .
  2. If you don't see the toolbar above your document, click the marker tip icon.
    • You can sketch, draw, add shapes and text, and more with markup tools in Preview. [3]
  3. Go to File > Save so you can edit your annotations later. If you want to save your annotations so they can't be edited, go to File > Print > Save as PDF .
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Section 5 of 5:

Using Markup with iPad

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  1. You can either drag an email or text attachment (that's a PDF) to a note or touch and hold the file, then tap Share > Notes .
  2. 2
    Tap the down arrow and select View as Medium/Large . With the image in Medium or Large view, you can edit the PDF with your Apple Pencil or finger.
  3. This will open the Markup toolbar so you can annotate the PDF.
    • Use your Apple Pencil or finger to draw, add shapes, and mark up, or annotate the PDF.
  4. All your annotations are saved automatically, so you can close the file whenever you want to. [4]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/how-to/annotate-pdf-online.html
      2. ↑ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/learning-center/how-to-use-pdf-reader-in-microsoft-edge?form=MA13I2
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/annotate-a-pdf-prvw11580/mac
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/write-and-draw-in-documents-ipad6350b8dc/18.0/ipados/18.0

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