How to Open and Read a PDF on iPhone

Download Highlights for free. Not on an iPhone? Checkout the Mac and iPad guides.

1. Open the PDF document in Highlights

Locate and tap on the file you want to open in the Highlights document browser:

iPhone displaying Highlights document browser

The PDF opens full screen:

iPhone displaying a PDF document open in Highlights

2. Navigate and read the PDF

You can scroll the page with your finger. If you want to zoom in on a paragraph or element double tap on it with one finger. To zoom back out double tap again.

The bottom bar shows a thumbnail scrubber that lets you quickly jump to a different page in the document. The top and bottom bars are shown by default. To hide them, tap the document. To show them again, tap once more.

The toolbar at the top gives you access to a range of functionality. The segmented control in the center lets you switch between the PDF and your notes.

To close the PDF and go back to the document browser tap the back arrow in the top left corner.