How to Sign a Document on Your iPhone

James Lintzer |

Mobile processes are the key to streamlined workflows. When you step away from your desk to grab a snack, pick up your kids from school or even work from home, you still need access to all your work documents from your iPhone. And many documents require signatures. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to sign documents right from your iPhone? It’s possible, and there are several ways to do it. Here’s a quick guide on how to sign documents on your iPhone.

Why You May Need to Add a Signature to a Document on Your iPhone

When you receive an important document — such as a contract, invoice, business agreement or NDA — your swift response is essential. Not only does it show professionalism, but it also keeps business flowing smoothly and maintains effective communication.  

While physical forms still have their place, most documents are now sent online to help accelerate negotiations and close deals. And the entire process becomes even faster when the recipient can sign those documents wherever they are. 

If you have to wait until you are at your office computer or somewhere you can print out a physical copy, that might delay business proceedings by several hours or even days. Business delays mean money lost, not to mention the added costs of everyone printing documents just to sign them. 

A simpler solution is signing documents on your iPhone with e-signatures. Not only do e-signatures facilitate prompt communication, but they are also legally binding in most situations. An e-signature from your iPhone works well for:

No matter what type of documents you need to sign — or where you’re located — you can e-sign them right from your iPhone.

How to Sign Documents on Your iPhone With Markup

All iPhones released after the iOS 9 come with Markup, a tool that lets you edit photos and documents. Since Markup isn’t compatible with all apps, you need to select the right one to be able to insert a signature into your document. Here are a few ways to do that.

Option 1: How to Sign Documents From Screenshots on iPhone

The Photos app supports Markup, so you can take a screenshot of the document you need to sign — or a page of the document you need to sign. 

If you have an iPhone with Face ID, press the button on the right side of the phone at the same time you press the volume up button. For iPhones with a Touch ID, press the Home and side buttons at the same time to take a screenshot. 

You can then either click on the thumbnail of the screenshot that appears in the bottom left corner of the screen or find the image in the screenshots folder in your Photos albums. 

Then follow these steps:

  1. Once you have the screenshot of your document open, click Edit
  2. Select the Markup button (which is a circle surrounding a marker tip)
  3. Press the + button and then Signature
  4. If you have no saved signatures, click on Add Signature and create your electronic signature
  5. If you already have saved signatures, select the one you want
  6. Drag the signature to the right place and resize it
  7. Select Done when you’re finished

Option 2: How to Sign Documents With Photos on iPhone

You can also edit scanned documents in the Photos app. But first, you need to activate the option to save all your scans to Photos. Go into your camera roll and select Settings, then Notes. Turn on the toggle that says Save to Photos. Now all the scans that you take with the Notes app automatically save in the Photos app.

To scan a document, follow these steps:

  1. Open notes and create a new one
  2. Select the Camera button, then Scan Documents
  3. Make sure the document is completely visible on your iPhone screen
  4. Your iPhone will automatically scan the document if it’s in Auto mode
  5. If it’s not, then tap the Shutter button. Drag the corners to make sure they fit the page
  6. Save the scan.

Once you save the scan, go to your Photos app and open it there. The process for adding a signature is the same as for adding a signature on a screenshot since it’s the same supporting app:

  1. Open the scanned image
  2. Select the Markup button
  3. Press the + button and then Signature
  4. If you have no saved signatures, click on Add Signature and create your electronic signature
  5. If you already have saved signatures, select the one you want
  6. Drag the signature to the right place and resize it
  7. Select Done when you’re finished

Option 3: How to Sign Documents With Notes on iPhone

If your Notes don’t automatically save in your Photos app — or if you want to bypass that step — you can sign documents directly in the Notes app. 

  1. Open up the scanned document in your Notes app
  2. Tap the document and select the Share button
  3. Then choose the Markup option
  4. Press the + button and then Signature
  5. If you have no saved signatures, click on Add Signature and create your electronic signature
  6. If you already have saved signatures, select the one you want
  7. Select Done when you’re finished

Option 4: How to Sign an Email Document on iPhone

If someone sent you a document to sign via email, this might be the simplest way to respond with a signature using Markup. 

  1. Open the Mail app
  2. You can either reply to the email or compose a new one
  3. Tap the body of the email, then tap the cursor
  4. Choose Insert Photo or Video Attachment, then click on the document option
  5. Look for the document you want to include
  6. Tap the document, then select the left arrow
  7. Select the Markup option
  8. Press the + button and then Signature
  9. If you have no saved signatures, click on Add Signature and create your electronic signature
  10. If you already have saved signatures, select the one you want
  11. Select Done when you’re finished

You can then send the email with the signed document attached. 

How to Manipulate the Signature on iPhone

No matter which method you use to create an electronic signature on an iPhone, you can manipulate the signature in the same way. Once you create a signature or insert a pre-saved one, you can resize, move and further edit the signature to fit your needs. 

  • Resize: Once you have selected the signature you want, it will appear in the document with a boxed outline. Each corner has a blue circle. Just tap and drag one corner to resize the signature so it fits the signature line of your document.
  • Move: If you want to move the signature to a different spot, just tap and hold the signature while you drag it to the right spot
  • Duplicate: When you tap the signature, four options appear. Select Duplicate to make another copy of your signature appear on the document.
  • Remove: In that same menu, select Delete to remove the signature
  • Change Color: If you want to change the signature color, you can select the signature and go to the Markup toolbar at the bottom. Select the color option and choose another one.  

How to Sign Documents on Your iPhone With an Electronic Signature Tool

While Apple certainly makes it easy to create an electronic signature on an iPhone, there are some limitations to the Markup option. 

For example, taking pictures of documents and signing them might not work for long documents with multiple signatures needed. Markup also doesn’t work with Word documents — they need to be PDF documents or images. 

While you can work around these limitations for singular documents, it’s not an ideal situation for businesses. Companies that handle a large number of documents — and possibly documents that need signatures from various people — would benefit from an electronic signature tool like jSign on their employees’ iPhones. 

jSign for iPhones supports many more document types than Markup, including Excel, PowerPoints, PDFs and Word documents. You can also add as many other signees as you want, making it easy for your team to all e-sign one document. 

And while signing with Markup is legal, jSign offers increased protection and legal compliance. Through audit trails and blockchain stamping, jSign helps ensure each signature’s authenticity.  

Here’s how to sign documents on an iPhone with jSign:

  1. Log in to a jSign account
  2. Select and upload the document you want to sign
  3. List the people who will e-sign the document — including yourself
  4. Put the signature placeholders where necessary
  5. Edit your signature placeholder by drawing, uploading or typing your signature
  6. If needed, add advanced details like the signing due date, reminders and verification QR codes
  7. Click Finish to save your signature and send the document to other signees or recipients

Start Using Electronic Signatures on Your iPhone Today

Whether you need to sign a personal document or several business agreements for your company, you can use electronic signatures on your iPhone. Try using Markup with the compatible iPhone apps mentioned above for simpler documents. Or you can see for yourself how an electronic signature tool like jSign can help streamline your business process. Sign up for your free trial today

James Lintzer
Senior Marketing Manager

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