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How to Enable PDF Writing, Highlighting, and Markup on a Tablet
Question details
The user wants to use PDF writing, highlighting, and commenting tools on their tablet, but these features are currently unavailable despite working on their phone.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Trying to annotate or edit a PDF document on a tablet.
- Observed behavior
- Annotation tools like writing and highlighting are missing, inactive, or restricted on the tablet version of the application.
Before troubleshooting, ensure your tablet is connected to the internet to verify account subscriptions, and check that your PDF application is updated to the latest version.
Verify Subscription and Sign In with the Correct Account
Ensure your tablet is logged into the exact account holding the premium subscription, as mismatched IDs restrict access to editing tools.
Premium PDF features such as advanced markup, writing, and commenting are tied directly to your user account. If you are signed in with a free account or a different ID on your tablet, the premium tools will remain locked, even if they work perfectly on your phone.
Launch the PDF application on your tablet and navigate to the profile or account settings menu, usually located in the top corner.
Verify the email address currently logged in. If it does not match the account associated with your active premium subscription, tap 'Sign Out'.
Tap 'Sign In' and enter the credentials for the account that holds the premium subscription.
Open a PDF document and verify that the writing, highlighting, and markup toolbars are now active and visible.
Restart the App and Re-select Text
Use this solution if your account is correct but the highlighting tool is still not showing up correctly.
Easily Highlight and Markup PDFs on Tablets Using WPS Office
Skip the complicated subscription syncing issues. WPS Office offers powerful, built-in PDF annotation tools for tablets, allowing you to highlight text, add comments, and draw directly on your documents seamlessly across all your devices.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office application from your tablet's respective app store.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS Office, navigate to your files, and tap your target PDF document to open it in the built-in PDF viewer.
- 3. Access Annotation Tools: Tap the 'Tools' menu at the bottom or top of the screen, then select the 'Annotation' tab.
- 4. Highlight and Markup: Select the highlight, pen, or text box tool, and drag your finger or stylus over the document to apply your edits.
- 5. Save Your Document: Tap the 'Save' icon to keep your highlights and annotations permanently embedded in the PDF file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I highlight PDFs on my phone but not my tablet?
This typically happens if your tablet is signed into a different account that doesn't have an active premium subscription, or if the tablet app hasn't yet synchronized your recent subscription status from the cloud.
How do I properly select text to highlight in a PDF on a touchscreen?
Long-press on a specific word until the text selection handles (usually blue teardrop shapes) appear. Drag these handles to cover the desired text, and then select the highlight icon from the pop-up menu.
What should I do if the highlight tool is greyed out entirely?
If the tool is greyed out, the document might be a flattened scanned image rather than selectable text, or it may contain security restrictions set by the author preventing modifications. You may need to use an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool to make the text selectable.
Are basic PDF editing and highlighting features free on tablets?
While some dedicated PDF apps require a premium subscription for advanced editing, many robust alternatives like WPS Office provide excellent basic annotation, highlighting, and commenting tools natively.
