Highlighting Text in PDF: A Comprehensive Guide

ByJim Miller

If you've ever needed to highlight important points in a PDF document, you may have found that there is no native solution available on your mobile or desktop. However, don't despair! There are some easy alternatives that can help you achieve this task effortlessly. In this article, we will explore the simplest ways to highlight text in a PDF on both mobile and desktop devices.

Highlighting Text in PDF on Mac/PC

1. Using a Web Browser

One of the easiest methods to highlight text in a PDF is by using the Microsoft Edge browser. It comes with a built-in PDF editor that is powerful enough to let you highlight text in different colors. Here's how you can do it:

  1. Right-click on the PDF file, hover your cursor over the “Open with” option, and select “Microsoft Edge.”
  2. Click on the Highlighter icon and select the text you want to highlight.
  3. If you want to change the color, click on the down arrow next to the Highlighter icon and choose the desired color and thickness.
  4. To remove any highlighted text, simply select the Erase button and click on the highlighted text.
  5. Once you've finished highlighting the text, click the Save or Save As button to save the file separately.

2. Using Adobe Acrobat Reader

If you prefer not to install an additional web browser on your computer, you can use Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is a simple and easy-to-use app that offers additional features. Here's how you can highlight text using Adobe Acrobat Reader:

  1. Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Reader, click on the Pen icon in the toolbar, and select the Highlight option.
  2. If you're not fond of the default highlight color, click on the color bubble and choose a different color. You can also customize the opacity.
  3. After that, you can click and drag to select the text you wish to highlight.
  4. If you want to change the color of the highlighted text or erase it, simply select the highlighted text and choose the color bubble or delete icon, respectively.
  5. Once you're done, hit the Save button to save your changes.

Highlighting Text in PDF on the Phone

If you don't have access to your PC or Mac, you can still highlight text in a PDF file using the Microsoft 365 (Office) app on your smartphone. Here's how:

  1. Open the Microsoft 365 app on your iPhone or Android phone, go to the PDF tab, and select the PDF file you want to edit.
  2. Afterward, tap the Edit button and select the Highlighter icon.
  3. If you want to change the color of the highlighter, tap on the color bubble at the bottom right corner and choose a color from the list.
  4. Once done, tap and drag to select the text you want to highlight.
  5. If you want to undo or remove certain parts of the highlighted text, you can use the Undo or Eraser option.
  6. Finally, hit the Tick or Checkmark icon to save your changes, and voila, you have successfully highlighted text in the PDF document.

FAQs

  1. How to highlight text in a scanned PDF?

You can highlight text in a PDF using a method similar to the ones mentioned above. However, if the document is scanned from your smartphone, it may not automatically detect text. Therefore, you need to manually highlight the text, resulting in visible signs of uneven highlighting.

  1. How to highlight text in a PDF with images?

Automatic highlighting won't work on images with text, but you can manually highlight text on the image.

Spice up Your PDFs With Highlights

Now that you know how easy it is to highlight text in a PDF document, we hope this guide has assisted you in doing so. Before you close your browser, you may also be interested in learning how to export WhatsApp chat to PDF or how to remove a password from PDF.