Getting an email with a PDF attachment that says “Please sign and return” used to mean a 15-minute chore. You had to fire up the printer, hope it had ink, sign the paper with a pen, and then figure out how to scan it back to your computer.
In 2026, printers are essentially obsolete for this task. Both Apple and Google have built powerful PDF editors directly into your phone’s operating system, allowing you to sign legal documents with your finger in seconds.
How to sign on an iPhone (iOS)
Apple’s “Markup” tool is incredibly powerful and built into almost every native app.
- When you receive a PDF in Apple Mail or save it to your Files app, tap to open it.
- In the top right corner, tap the Markup icon (it looks like a small pen tip).
- At the bottom right of the screen, tap the + icon and select Signature.
- If it’s your first time, the screen will flip sideways. Use your finger to sign your name and hit Done.
- The signature will drop onto the document. You can drag it to the correct line and resize it perfectly.
How to sign on Android
The easiest native way to sign a document on Android is through the Google Drive app, which comes pre-installed on most devices.
- Save the PDF and open it inside Google Drive.
- Tap the floating Markup (Pen) icon in the bottom right corner.
- Select your ink color and thickness from the bottom menu, and simply draw your signature over the dotted line.
- Tap save, and the newly signed PDF is ready to be shared.
🔥 Extra tip: Create a desktop signature
If you want to sign documents on your PC without a touchscreen, grab a piece of blank white paper and sign it with a thick black pen. Take a well-lit photo of it with your phone. You can use a free website like remove.bg to instantly strip away the white paper background. Now you have a transparent PNG file of your actual signature that you can drag and drop into any Microsoft Word or Google Docs file!