How to redact a PDF on iPhone and iPad
Redact in Unlock my PDF hides sensitive text for good: you search for it or draw boxes over it, and the app deletes what's underneath instead of just covering it. Use it before you share a bank statement, a contract or an ID.
Step by step
- Step 1
Open Redact and choose the PDF
In the Tools tab, tap Redact, then Tap to choose, and pick the PDF from Files.
- Step 2
Find the text to hide
In Search and redact, type a word or a number, or tap a ready search: IBAN, Tax code, Email, Phone or Card number. The app puts a box over every match and tells you how many it found.
- Step 3
Draw boxes where you need them
Under Or draw boxes on the pages, open a page and drag with one finger to cover anything else: a signature, a photo, an address. Tap a box to remove it, and use two fingers to zoom.
- Step 4
Slide to redact
Drag Slide to redact and confirm. The pages with boxes are rebuilt as images, so the text under the boxes is deleted from the file. The original PDF stays as it is.
- Step 5
Check and share
Open the result to check every page, then tap Share or Save to Files.
Good to know
Covering is not redacting
A black highlight or a shape drawn on a PDF only covers the text: anyone can still select it, copy it or remove the shape. Redact deletes the text under the boxes, so it can't be copied or searched any more.
Scanned pages
Search and redact finds text that is stored in the PDF. On a scanned page, where the text is part of an image, draw the boxes by hand.
Hidden information in the file
A PDF also stores its author, the app that made it and dates. Before sharing a sensitive document, remove them too with Remove metadata.
Redaction can't be undone
The redacted copy can't be restored. Keep the original PDF if you might need the full text later.
This tool is part of Premium. The app shows it before you start, never after. The PDF is processed on your device. Unlock my PDF has no servers that receive your files.
Questions
Does the whole PDF become an image?
No. Only the pages with at least one box are rebuilt as images; the other pages stay as they were.
Can someone remove the black boxes later?
No. The text under the boxes is deleted from the redacted copy, not hidden under a shape.
Is Redact free?
Redact is a PRO tool, included in Premium. The app shows the PRO label before you start, never after the work is done.
Is my document uploaded?
No. Redaction happens on your iPhone or iPad; the app has no servers that receive your files.
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Do it now on your iPhone or iPad
Unlock my PDF is free to download. Your PDFs are processed on your device: no uploads, no account.
Updated October 2026 · app 2.0