PDF Editing Issues

How to Highlight Text in Acrobat Liquid Mode on iPad

Kushani Nimanthika Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is trying to highlight text while reading a PDF in Liquid Mode but cannot find the annotation tools.

How to Highlight Text in Acrobat Liquid Mode on iPad

Product: Adobe Acrobat Pro
Device & OS: iPad Pro (iOS 15)
Scenario: Reading and attempting to annotate a PDF document using Liquid Mode on an iPad.
Observed behavior: Highlighting and other annotation tools are disabled or missing when Liquid Mode is activated.

Before you start

Ensure your Adobe Acrobat app is updated to the latest version, as feature availability and menu layouts can change with new software releases.

Solution 1Recommended

Exit Liquid Mode to Access Standard Annotation Tools

Since Liquid Mode currently disables annotation features, switching back to the standard view allows you to highlight text normally.

Adobe Acrobat's Liquid Mode is designed purely for enhanced reading on mobile devices by reflowing text and images. Because the layout is dynamically generated, fixed annotations like highlights are not supported in this view. To annotate, you must revert to the original PDF layout.

Turn off Liquid Mode

Tap the water drop icon (Liquid Mode button) located at the top menu of the screen to disable the reflow view.

Select the Highlight Tool

Tap on the pencil or comment icon to open the annotation toolbar at the bottom or side of the screen, then select the Highlight tool.

Highlight Text

Drag your finger or Apple Pencil over the text you wish to highlight in the standard PDF view.

Exit Liquid Mode to Access Standard Annotation Tools

Document Compatibility: Any highlights you make in the standard view will be saved to the PDF, but they will not be visible if you switch back to Liquid Mode.

Solution 2

Submit a Feature Request to Adobe

If you strongly need highlighting capabilities within Liquid Mode, you can request this feature directly from Adobe's development team.

Use WPS Office for Easy PDF Reading and Highlighting on iPad

WPS Office offers a powerful built-in PDF reader for iPad that provides smooth mobile reading experiences alongside full annotation features, allowing you to highlight text effortlessly without losing functionality.

1. Download WPS Office: Search for WPS Office in the App Store on your iPad and install the free application.
2. Open your PDF: Launch WPS Office, navigate to your files, and open the PDF document you want to read.
3. Access Annotation Tools: Tap on the 'Annotation' tab at the top of the screen to reveal the highlighting and markup tools.
4. Highlight Text: Select the Highlight tool, choose your preferred color, and drag across the text to apply the highlight.

Free and lightweight PDF reader and editor for mobile devicesSupports highlighting, underlining, and drawing directly on PDFsFeatures a Mobile View for comfortable reading on smaller screensFully compatible with Microsoft Office formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe PDFs

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Liquid Mode in Adobe Acrobat?

Liquid Mode is a proprietary reading feature in Adobe Acrobat that uses artificial intelligence to reformat text, images, and tables. It creates a dynamic layout for easier navigation and reading on mobile devices without the need to pinch and zoom.

Will Adobe add highlighting to Liquid Mode in the future?

While not officially confirmed by Adobe, the company regularly updates its applications based on user feedback. Submitting a feature request increases the likelihood of highlighting being added to Liquid Mode in future updates.

Can I highlight PDFs on my iPad without a premium subscription?

Yes, many applications, including WPS Office and Apple's built-in Files app, offer free basic annotation tools like highlighting, underlining, and drawing for PDF documents on the iPad.

PDF Troubleshooting