Add text to a PDF
Not every PDF has boxes to type in. Tap wherever the words belong, type them, drag them into line, and download a PDF with your text printed on the page.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 2 min read
Choose the PDF
Then tap the page wherever you want to type: a name, an address, a note, an answer on a form.
Your file never leaves your device. The text is written onto the pages right here in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and it stays selectable text.
On this page
How to add text
- 1
Open the PDF
Choose the file. Its first page opens large.
- 2
Tap where the text goes
A box appears where you tapped, and a text field opens under the page, big enough to type in comfortably on a phone.
- 3
Move it and style it
Drag the box into line. Pick Small, Medium, Large or Huge, and black, blue or red. Tap Done, or tap an empty spot to start another box.
- 4
Any page
Use Next to move through the pages and add as many boxes as you need, on as many pages.
- 5
Download
Tap Download PDF with text.
When to use this, and when to fill the form
If the PDF has real form fields, the boxes a PDF reader lets you type into, use Fill a PDF, which fills those fields properly. This tool is for everything else: a form that was printed and scanned, blank lines on a letter, a correction in the margin.
Good to know
- What you see is where it prints. The preview uses the same font, size and line spacing as the file, measured on the page as you see it, so rotated and cropped pages come out right too.
- It's real text, in Helvetica, so it can be selected, copied and searched.
- Accents work; emoji don't. Letters like é, ñ and ü are fine. Emoji and alphabets like Chinese, Arabic or Cyrillic can't be printed in this font, and the tool names the character to remove.
- New text goes on top. It can't change or delete what's already printed on the page.
- Typing your name isn't signing. Typed text is just text. To sign, use the free PDF signer, where your signature is placed and saved with the file.
Dates and initials
For a date, Add a date to a PDF writes it in the format you choose. For initials on page after page, see how to add initials to a PDF.
Questions? Answers.
Can I change text that's already in the PDF?
No. This tool adds new text on top of the page. It can't edit or remove words that are already printed there.
Can I add text on more than one page?
Yes. Move to any page and tap to add a box there. Every box on every page goes into the same download.
Why can't I type certain characters?
The text is printed in Helvetica, the font every PDF reader has. It covers English and Western European letters, including accents, but not emoji or other alphabets.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The text is written onto the pages by your browser, on your device.