How to sign a PDF on Android without printing it

Sign a PDF on your phone, step by step

These steps use PDF Sign & Fill, our app for Android. Any PDF works: a contract, a lease, a permission slip, a tax form.

• Get the PDF onto the phone. If it came by email or chat, open the attachment and pick PDF Sign & Fill from the "Open with" or share list. Or, on Home, tap Open a PDF and then Choose a file.
• Tap the page where the signature goes. Add to page opens: tap Signature.
• The first time, draw your signature with your finger, or switch to Type and type your name. Tap Save. The app keeps it on the phone for next time.
• Drag the signature onto the line and pinch or drag its corner to resize it.
• Tap the page again to add the Date, Text such as your printed name, or a Check mark.
• Tap Done. When Your signed copy is ready shows, tap Share to send it back, or Save as… to keep it in a folder.

That's the whole job. The signed copy is a normal PDF that anyone can open.

Turn the phone sideways for a better signature

The signing pad says it: turn your phone sideways for more room. A wider pad gives a signature that looks like the one you make on paper. You can save more than one under Signatures, and initials too.

When someone else must sign too

On Add to page, pick Someone else signs and hand them the phone. Their signature stays with that document only and is not added to your saved signatures.

What's free and what isn't

Opening, signing, filling, the page tools, scanning, and saving or sharing the PDF are free, with no watermark. Pro is a one-time purchase that adds things like more templates, more signer sessions and filling forms from your saved details. You never have to buy anything to get your signed copy out of the app.

Other ways to sign on Android

Some phones come with a PDF viewer or file app that can draw on a page; open the PDF and look for a pen or markup button. It works for a quick scribble, but you usually can't reuse a saved signature or add a clean date. Printing, signing in ink and scanning the page also works, and some offices still ask for exactly that.

Before you send it

• Read every page once more. The signed copy is what the other person gets.
• If the PDF has form fields, fill them first: see how to fill a PDF form on Android.
• If you were asked for a signature on a paper scan, see how to turn photos into a PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Is an electronic signature on a PDF valid?

In the United States, the federal ESIGN Act and the state UETA laws say a signature can't be refused only because it is electronic. Most everyday documents, such as contracts, leases and consent forms, can be signed this way. The law lists exceptions, such as wills, adoption and divorce papers, court documents and some notices like an eviction or a utility shutoff, and the person who asked for your signature decides what they accept. Other countries have their own rules. When it matters, ask the recipient.

Does the IRS accept a signature drawn on a phone?

Only for some forms and only when filed the way the IRS says. For example, a Form 2848 with an electronic signature is accepted only when submitted online; one sent by fax or mail must be signed in ink. Each of our form guides says what the IRS asks for.

Is a drawn signature the same as a certificate-based signature?

No. Some government portals and banks ask for a signature made with an identity certificate issued to you. PDF Sign & Fill doesn't create those. It places the signature you draw or type on the page, which is what most "sign and send it back" requests need.

Can I sign a PDF on Android without installing an app?

Sometimes. Some phones' built-in PDF viewers have a pen tool that lets you draw on the page. If yours doesn't, you need an app, or the print, sign and scan route.

Can I sign a PDF that is locked or password-protected?

PDF Sign & Fill can't open a password-protected PDF yet; remove the password first. If the author locked the PDF against changes, the app can't save a signed copy. Ask the sender for a version that allows signing.

Where does my signature go?

It stays on your phone. Your documents and signatures are never uploaded.