Create fillable PDFs on mobile (iPad)

[jonathanv17351470]

Hello! This post is in regards to the Fill & Sign app on iOS, specifically iPad. Since there is no forum for that app, I am posting here.

I recently bought an iPad as a laptop computer substitute. Aside from my mobile phone, this is my only device. I do not have access to a traditional computer.

I use my iPad for work, and in this case, I need to open a PDF, add fillable fields and send it to recipients for signatures. This feature does not seem to be supported on a mobile device. Both in the Acrobat and Fill & Sign apps, I only seem to be able to fill the form myself. I am unable to create fillable fields for others and/or request e-signatures. Yet, these articles by Adobe clearly state otherwise: 

• https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/hub/how-to/create-fillable-pdf-on-ipad
• https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/hub/how-to/how-to-create-fillable-pdf-on-iphone

Worst case I will subscribe to another service to get this done, however, if possible I would like to stick with Adobe products. There is no other documented instance of this issue that I can find and Adobe support is of no help.

Curious to see what you guys think.

[ls_rbls]

Hi,

I am replying with a fact, not how I think.

Sadly, there is no mobile operating system that supports a full PDF editor such as Adobe Acrobat (or similar software).

The links that advertise that editing can be done from the mobile app doesn't seem to be accurate and your observation is correct; this has been answered  numerous times in these forums.

In fact, the test file provided in those links is a secured form and wont allow any type of editing.

But if you do have a non-secured PDF that you can test with,  you can use the Fill & Sign tool to perform some basic editing.

Editing in this context will be limited to add or modify static text content only, not PDF field objects (such as text fields, dropdown menus, listboxes, date field objects, action buttons and widgets, such as radio buttons or checkboxes, for example).

What I've observed many times (not just with Adobe) is that software campaigns have a tendency of creating confusion in the customers' brains.

A prime example is that many people (including myself when I joined these forums) don't know how to differentiate Adobe Acrobat Pro DC from Adobe Acrobat Reader due to how these product names are used  interchangeably during software marketing campaigns.

As a result, in many other occasions you'll notice Adobe Acrobat customers referring to their software just as  Adobe.

The same is true when a marketing campaigns advertise that you can edit a PDF.

But what the consumer is not able to conceptualize is the real context of PDF file editing.

PDF file editing involves very complex software tools that would require more heavy processing power than that of a mobile device's system architecture. 

Prime examples of such tools are Advanced Indexed searching, OCR & Scanning, setting up time stamp servers to apply fully encrypted certificate-based digital signatures in a document, digitally certifying a document with self-signed or certificate-based digital signatures, customizing stamps, redacting documents, print production, embedding of copyright restricted font types, making PDFs accessible, exporting/importing documents to different file formats, distilling and postcripting PDF files, just to name a few.

But to be clear, let's not ignore the fact that With the Adobe Acrobat mobile app you can indeed use the Fill & Sign tool with a PDF a form to edit, delete and add static text content to it (provided that you also have a with a paid subscription).

Additionally, you may use Acrobat Online services, print,  comment, share  and distribute a PDF securely with Adobe Sign services (among many other Adobe Document Cloud and Creative Cloud and third-party solutions).

You will not be able to edit PDF objects or customize a PDF form with built-in features that are exclusive of the full desktop versions (which were designed to work with Microsoft Windows or macOS operating systems on top of more capable processing hardware).

Moreover, the Acrobat mobile app will not allow you to fully customize a PDF with more advanced capabilities using Acrobat JavaScript programming code directly from the app... which is also the most flexible way to truly edit a PDF document.

[jonathanv17351470]

Hey thank you for the in-depth answer! Honestly, I understand there are software limitations on mobile devices. Truth be told, I am using an iPad Pro (5th gen) and it has more than enough specs to be able to do exactly what a computer does, but that's in my case specifically. That being said, after posting I went ahead and downloaded DocuSign and it does exactly what I need, on a mobile device. You can add fillable fields and request e-signatures. I am not sure why Adobe doesn't have a solution to this yet and why they say they do in their articles. The Fill & Sign app seems like it could very easily do that. I don't need to edit a PDF per say, and even if I needed to, the mobile Adobe Acrobat app does allow me to do that. It's more that as a working professional that's often on the go, being able to send a contract for e-signatures is a must and as of right now with the current Adobe mobile apps, I can only sign them myself.

[ls_rbls · Accepted solution]

++ EDITED REPLY,

Actually I was wrong.

Please disregard all my unnecessary verbage in my initial reply (although some of it is partially true, depending on the context of this discussion).

It seems like this feature was added in recent updates.

I haven't used Acrobat Sign in my mobile device for a while and I totally missed backing up my reply with factual findings.

The feature, however, is somewhat  hidden and it is easy to miss from all of the available menus that the Acrobat Mobile app has to offer.

To enable it, first you must add at least one email recipient in order to be able to activate the Add Form fields menu.

I am using Android, but the steps should be similar for iOS devices.

See slides:

First step is to open a PDF document.

Then from the menu options (shown in the screenshot below) select "Request e-signatures":

 

In the next screen, TAP ON "ADD ME".

You must type in or copy /paste an email address.

This will activate the "Add fields" menu option (shown in the next screenshot below):

SELECT WHAT TYPE OF FIELDS OBJECT TO ADD TO THE PDF FORM.

To the right of the "Field type" item, tap on the context menu which will open up a list with the options that you are looking for.

 

HERE IT IS !!

 

[jonathanv17351470]

Thank you for the updated reply! It seems like it might be a bug with the iOS version or it might also be a problem specific to my case because I don't have the request e-signatures option.

Regardless, I'm happy overall that this feature has been implemented. Like you pointed out though, they could work on making the feature more obvious. Signing documents and sending them to be signed are equally as important in terms of signing contracts on-the-go and should be equally accessible.

[ls_rbls]

You're welcome.

[Bernd Alheit]

"I am unable to create fillable fields for others and/or request e-signatures."

Use the Online Services of Adobe.

[ls_rbls]

Here is the equivalent workflow with iPad Pro slides: