Question 1

Is Kiwi PDF free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can download Kiwi PDF for free on the App Store and Google Play.

Question 2

Which devices does Kiwi PDF run on?

Accepted Answer

Kiwi PDF is available for iPhone & iPad (iOS / iPadOS 16 or later), Android (Android 8.0 or later), Mac (macOS 14 Sonoma or later — download at kiwipdf.org) and the web — open kiwipdf.org/app/ in a recent browser. A Windows version is coming soon.

Question 3

Are my documents uploaded to a server?

Accepted Answer

No. Kiwi PDF opens, edits and saves your files on your device — in the app, or inside your browser on the web. Your documents only leave the device when you choose to share or export them.

Question 4

Can I change the app language or switch to dark mode?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Open Settings in Kiwi PDF to choose Light, Dark or System appearance. The app follows your device language. Kiwi PDF is available in English, Vietnamese, Spanish, Hindi, Indonesian, Portuguese (Brazil) and Thai.

Question 5

When is Windows available?

Accepted Answer

The Windows version is in development. Follow kiwipdf.org for release announcements. In the meantime, the web editor at kiwipdf.org/app/ works in any Windows browser.

Question 6

Can I use Kiwi PDF offline?

Accepted Answer

Yes — completely. All editing, annotation, OCR and PDF tools run locally on your device. An internet connection is only needed to sync a Kiwi PDF Premium subscription.

Question 7

How do I sign a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Open the PDF, choose the Fill & Sign group, tap Signature, draw your signature and tap Done. Then drag it into place.

Question 8

Can I save my signature and reuse it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every signature you draw is kept under Saved signatures on the signature pad, so you can place it again with one tap.

Question 9

Is my signature a legally binding digital signature?

Accepted Answer

Kiwi PDF adds a handwritten image signature. It is not a certificate-based digital signature. Check whether a handwritten signature is accepted for your document.

Question 10

Will my annotations show up in other apps like Adobe Acrobat or Preview?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Kiwi PDF saves annotations as standard PDF annotations, so other PDF apps can display them and, in most cases, edit them too.

Question 11

Do I need to press Save?

Accepted Answer

No. Your changes are saved automatically while you work. Use Undo and Redo in the editor to step back and forward through your changes.

Question 12

Can I edit the existing text in a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Use Edit Text to tap a block of text and change it. To add a brand-new line of text, press and hold on an empty area (mobile) or click and start typing (desktop).

Question 13

Can I highlight text in a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Open the Annotate group and choose Highlight. Drag across any text to highlight it. Also available: Underline, Strikethrough and Squiggly underline.

Question 14

Can I annotate a scanned PDF?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can draw, add text boxes and shapes on any PDF including scans. To also search and edit the text on a scan, run OCR first (Tools › OCR) to add a text layer.

Question 15

How do I add a chart to a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Tap the tool group selector and choose Chart (or find it under Insert). Select a chart type, enter your data, choose a style and tap Insert. The chart is placed as an image annotation that you can resize and reposition.

Question 16

Can I measure distances or areas in a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Measure tool group includes Distance, Perimeter, Area and Angle tools. Calibrate the scale to match a real-world measurement, then draw measurements on the PDF.

Question 17

How do I merge or split PDFs?

Accepted Answer

Open the Tools tab and choose Merge or Split. Pick your files, adjust the options and Kiwi PDF creates a new PDF without changing your originals.

Question 18

How can I make a PDF smaller to send by email?

Accepted Answer

Use Compress in the Tools tab, or choose Reduce File Size from the ••• menu in the editor. Pick a compression level and Kiwi PDF shows the size before and after. Text and vectors stay crisp — only embedded images are downsampled.

Question 19

How do I convert a PDF to Word or images?

Accepted Answer

Open the Tools tab and find PDF to Word or PDF to Image in the Convert group. PDF to Image exports each page as a JPEG or PNG at the resolution you choose. (Word to PDF is coming soon.)

Question 20

How do I merge two PDFs?

Accepted Answer

Open Tools › Merge PDFs, add your files, drag them into the order you want and tap/click Merge. There is no limit on the number of files.

Question 21

How do I add a password to a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Tap ••• in the editor and choose Protect with password. Enter and confirm your password. The PDF is saved immediately with 256-bit AES encryption.

Question 22

I forgot the password of my PDF. Can you recover it?

Accepted Answer

No. Passwords are never stored or sent anywhere, so nobody, including us, can recover them. Keep a copy of the password somewhere safe.

Question 23

Does Kiwi PDF support digitally signed PDFs?

Accepted Answer

Kiwi PDF detects certificate-based digital signatures (e-signatures with a certificate, not handwritten image signatures). If you open a digitally signed PDF, Kiwi PDF warns you before saving, because editing will break the signature. You can choose to save a copy without invalidating the original.

Question 24

Can I black out (redact) sensitive information permanently?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Redact tool (Security group) permanently removes text or images from the PDF. Once applied and saved, the content cannot be recovered — not even by a PDF inspector tool. For visual cover-up only, use Erase Text instead.

Question 25

My annotations disappear when I open the file in another app

Accepted Answer

Kiwi PDF saves annotations as standard PDF annotations embedded in the file. If they are missing in another app, try sharing a fresh copy from Kiwi PDF's ••• menu. If the other app still cannot show them, share a Flattened copy instead.

Question 26

The app is slow with a large PDF

Accepted Answer

Large scanned PDFs can be slow because every page is a high-resolution image. Run Compress to reduce image resolution, or run OCR to add a text layer, which speeds up navigation. Close other background apps to free up memory.

Question 27

Where can I report a problem?

Accepted Answer

Email us at contact@kiwipdf.org with your device model, OS version and a short description of the problem.

Frequently asked questions

General

Fill & Sign

Annotations & editing

PDF tools

Security

Troubleshooting