How to sign a PDF on an iPad (Apple Pencil or finger)

An iPad is the nicest device to sign on: open the free signer in Safari, load your PDF, and draw your signature with Apple Pencil for a genuinely pen-like line, pressure and all. No app, no account, and the document never leaves the iPad.

Last verified: July 17, 2026

Sign a PDF free, no upload

Sign a PDF on your iPad in four steps

  1. 1

    Open the signer in Safari

    Go to the free signer and tap Choose file. The picker opens Files, or keep Files open in Split View and drag the PDF straight in.

  2. 2

    Load your PDF

    The document renders on the iPad itself; nothing is transmitted. Multi-page PDFs work, and you can zoom with a pinch.

  3. 3

    Draw with Apple Pencil

    Sign in the drawing pad, Pencil input captures pressure, so strokes thicken and thin like a real pen. No Pencil? A finger works; zoom in first for a smoother line. You can also type or photograph a signature.

  4. 4

    Place, resize, download

    Drag the signature into position, resize with the corner handles, and download. The flattened PDF lands in Files > Downloads.

iPad specifics worth knowing

  • Pencil vs. Markup

    iPadOS Markup also signs with the Pencil and stays local, good for quick annotations. The differences: Markup signatures remain movable annotations (not flattened), saved signatures persist on the device, and there are no typed or photo options. The browser signer flattens into the page and keeps nothing.

  • Split View is the fastest flow

    Put Files and Safari side by side and drag PDFs directly into the signer, no picker round-trip. Handy when signing several documents.

  • Stage Manager / external display

    The signer is a plain web page, so it follows whatever windowing you use, nothing to configure, no app-specific quirks.

Frequently asked questions

Does Apple Pencil make a real difference for signatures?
Yes, the drawing pad reads Pencil pressure, so the stroke varies in width like ink. It is the closest a web signature gets to paper. Finger drawing works too; it just produces a more uniform line.
Is the PDF uploaded anywhere while I sign on the iPad?
No. Rendering, signing, and flattening all happen in Safari on the iPad. Load the page, enable airplane mode, and the whole flow still works.
Can I use a saved signature across documents?
The free signer deliberately stores nothing, each session starts clean. Saved, reusable signatures are part of the paid account, where they're kept encrypted in your library.

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