PDF Editing Issues

How to Fix Apple Pencil Not Highlighting PDF Text on iPad

Olivia Miller Oct 19, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to highlight text in PDF files using an Apple Pencil on an iPad, even though manual text selection and highlighting still function normally.

How to Fix Apple Pencil Not Highlighting PDF Text on iPad

Product: PDF Editor
Device & OS: iPadOS
Scenario: Reading and annotating PDF documents, such as newspapers or reports, using a stylus.
Observed behavior: The Apple Pencil fails to apply highlights directly to the text, requiring the user to manually select the text with a finger first.

Before you start

Ensure your Apple Pencil is fully charged, securely paired via Bluetooth, and functioning properly in other native iPadOS applications before modifying PDF settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify PDF Permissions and Select the Highlight Tool

Make sure the document allows edits and the correct annotation tool is actively selected for the Apple Pencil.

Check document permissions

Open the PDF properties or details to ensure the file is not marked as read-only or restricted by a password, which disables all annotation tools.

Open the annotation toolbar

Tap the 'Annotation', 'Markup', or 'Edit' tab at the top of your PDF viewer interface to reveal the stylus tools.

Select the Highlight tool

Manually tap the 'Highlight' icon (usually represented by a marker symbol) to activate it before attempting to drag the Apple Pencil across the text.

Solution 2

Adjust App-Specific Apple Pencil Settings

Configure the PDF application to recognize the Apple Pencil for annotation rather than treating it as a standard touch input for scrolling.

Solution 3

Update Apps and Restart the iPad

Software bugs can cause stylus glitches. Keeping your system and apps updated ensures maximum compatibility.

Seamless PDF Annotation

Highlight PDFs Easily with WPS Office for iPad

WPS Office provides a highly optimized PDF reading and editing experience on iPadOS. It features robust Apple Pencil support for smooth highlighting, drawing, and annotating without frustrating setting conflicts.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office for free from the App Store on your iPad.
2. Open your PDF: Launch the app, navigate to your files, and open the PDF document you want to read.
3. Highlight with Apple Pencil: Tap the 'Annotation' tab, select the Highlight tool, and easily drag your Apple Pencil over the text to highlight it.

Native Apple Pencil support for seamless, instant text highlightingFully compatible with standard Adobe PDF formats and featuresLightweight app with fast rendering for large files like newspapersFree cloud sync across your iPad, iPhone, Mac, and PC

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Apple Pencil only scroll instead of highlighting in PDFs?

This usually happens when the Apple Pencil is set to 'gesture' or 'scroll' mode in your PDF app's settings. You need to switch the stylus setting to 'annotation' or specifically select the highlight tool in the upper toolbar before touching the screen.

Can I highlight a scanned PDF document using my Apple Pencil?

If the scanned PDF is saved as an image, standard text highlighting won't snap to the words. You must first use an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool to convert the image to searchable text, or switch to the freehand marker tool to draw over the page manually.

Does the iPadOS Scribble feature interfere with PDF highlighting?

In some cases, the Scribble feature can misinterpret your highlighting strokes as an attempt to write or enter text. If you experience conflicts, you can temporarily disable Scribble by going to iPad Settings > Apple Pencil.

PDF Troubleshooting