I need to fix a typo in a PDF contract from my phone, but it only lets me highlight or draw over it. How do you actually change the existing text on mobile?
Honestly, that is annoying because a PDF usually stores text as fixed layout, not like a Word file. I would open the contract in the Google Docs or Microsoft Word apps, which let you edit the text directly. After fixing the typo, save or export a PDF to create a new copy. To be fair, formatting can shift a little if the layout is complicated.
Highlighting is all most mobile PDF viewers do, they can’t touch the real text. What works for me: convert the PDF to Word on your phone, fix the typo in the Word app, then export it back as PDF. Android or iPhone? Word’s mobile app handles both fine, though contracts with tricky layout can shift a bit.
You need a proper PDF editor such as Adobe Acrobat, then choose Edit PDF rather than highlight or draw. If that option isn’t available, convert it to Word, fix the typo and export it again; avoid covering the old text with a white box, as it can still be copied or printed underneath.
If the PDF was made from a Word document, I would ask for the original file and correct the typo there, then save a new PDF. On a phone, existing PDF text is often not truly editable, especially in contracts. Avoid covering the typo with a text box unless the other party accepts that change clearly.