How to sign a PDF on Android with or without an app

To sign PDF on Android, open the document in a PDF viewer or signing app, add your signature, and save or share the completed file. Google Drive works for a quick handwritten mark, while PDF signing apps support reusable signatures. If other people need to sign, a dedicated eSignature app can collect their signatures and track completion. The following sections explain how to sign documents on Android, from adding a handwritten mark to sending a tracked signature request.

How to sign a PDF on Android for free

You can sign PDF on Android for free using Google Drive, a PDF reader with signing tools, or a browser-based PDF signer. Each method serves a slightly different purpose: Google Drive adds handwritten marks, PDF readers provide signature tools, and online signers work without installing another app.

Sign a PDF using Google Drive

Google Drive lets Android users draw directly on a PDF with a finger or stylus and save the annotated copy. This is useful for one-time forms, acknowledgments, and documents that only require a visible handwritten mark.

1. Open the Google Drive app on your Android phone.
2. Find the PDF file you want to sign and tap to open the preview.
3. Select the Annotate icon in the bottom-right corner.
4. Choose the pen tool and draw your signature in the required space.
5. Save the changes to the original PDF or create a separate copy.

The saved file includes the handwritten annotation. However, Google Drive's Android annotation tool does not independently authenticate the signer or generate a managed eSignature audit trail.

If your document is stored in Google Drive and needs a formal signing process, see how to sign a PDF in Google Drive using the available eSignature workflows.

Sign a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader provides free Fill & Sign tools for adding your own signature to a PDF on Android. You can create a signature, position it on the page, and save the signed document without purchasing a subscription for basic signing.

1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader on your mobile device.
2. Select the PDF you want to sign.
3. Open Fill & Sign from the available tools.
4. Tap the signature icon and choose Add signature.
5. Draw or import your signature, then tap Done.
6. Place the signature in the appropriate field and adjust its size.
7. Save the completed PDF.

A saved signature can be reused on later documents, making this method useful for repeated personal signing. However, inserting a signature into a PDF is different from sending a formal signature request with a record of the signing process.

For more details on that distinction, see how to electronically sign a PDF document.

Sign a PDF using Xodo

Xodo is a PDF editor app for Android with tools for signatures, annotations, and PDF form filling. Its markup tools also let you review and annotate documents before signing.

1. Open the PDF in the Xodo mobile app.
2. Find the available Fill & Sign or signature tool.
3. Draw, type, or import your signature using the options available in your version.
4. Position the signature on the document.
5. Save or export the signed PDF.

Xodo Mobile supports adding personal signatures through its PDF editor. For collecting signatures from other people, Xodo also integrates Xodo Sign into the mobile app. That managed workflow requires a Xodo Sign subscription, so it is separate from basic PDF signing.

Sign a PDF online without downloading an app

A mobile web browser lets you sign PDF on Android without installing another app. This is useful for a one-time task when you only need to insert your own signature and download the finished document.

Signeasy offers a free online PDF signer for this purpose.

1. Open the online PDF signer in your Android browser.
2. Upload the document and enter your email address.
3. Select Start Signing.
4. Draw, type, or upload your signature.
5. Complete the document, verify your email address when prompted, and download the signed PDF.

The tool is designed for individual document signing without a subscription. If you need to work with Word files or other formats, Signeasy also provides an online document signer.

For documents that need multiple signatures, tracking, or audit trails, use a dedicated signature-request workflow rather than treating a browser-based signature image as a complete approval process.

How to sign a PDF on Android with Signeasy

Here's how to sign a PDF document on Android with Signeasy: import the file, choose Sign Document, insert your signature, and finalize the PDF. The Signeasy mobile eSign app also supports text, dates, initials, and checkmarks, allowing you to complete forms without switching to a desktop.

Step 1: Open Signeasy and import your PDF

Download the Signeasy app from the Google Play Store, sign in or start a free trial, and tap the + button on the home screen.

Choose the document from your phone's storage or an available cloud service, including Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. The selected PDF opens in Signeasy for signing.

If you regularly work with Drive documents, the Signeasy Google Drive integration also supports signing workflows within Google Drive. The integration is separate from importing a document through the Android app.

Step 2: Choose how to sign

Once the PDF opens, tap Start Signing at the bottom of the screen and select Sign Document.

This opens the self-signing tools. If you need someone else to sign the PDF, choose Send for Signature instead. That option creates a signature request rather than placing your own signature on the document.

Step 3: Create or reuse your signature

Tap the Signature icon in the annotation toolbar. On your first use, Signeasy lets you draw your signature with a finger or stylus or import an image of an existing signature.

You can also change the available pen settings before saving the signature. Once created, Signeasy stores your primary signature for reuse on future agreements and other documents.

If you already have a handwritten signature saved as an image, see how to use a signature image to sign documents.

You can also create a signature with Signeasy's online signature generator before adding it to a document.

Step 4: Place your signature and complete the PDF

Tap the required signing location to insert your signature. Adjust the size and position so the mark fits within the designated field.

If the document needs additional information, use Signeasy's annotation toolbar to insert:

• Initials: Add initials where the document requires them.
• Name: Insert your name into the appropriate field.
• Date: Add the signing date or another required date.
• Text: Complete fields such as an address or reference number.
• Checkmarks: Mark applicable options on forms.

These tools help complete the document before finalization, reducing the need to move between a PDF editor and a signing app. For additional options, see how to create an electronic signature.

Step 5: Review and finalize the signed PDF

Check that the signature is correctly positioned and all required fields are complete.

Tap the checkmark in the upper-right corner and select Yes when the confirmation prompt appears. Signeasy finalizes the PDF so you can download, email, or share a copy of the signed document.

If you need to make changes later, save the document as a draft before finalizing rather than completing the signing process.

Once you know how to sign a PDF on Android with Signeasy, reusing your saved signature can make recurring forms less repetitive. You can also learn how to scan a handwritten signature using your phone’s camera if you prefer capturing a signature from paper.

Need to sign a PDF on your phone and request someone else's signature? See how the Signeasy Android app supports personal signing and recipient requests.

How to sign documents on Android from email

You can sign PDF on Android directly from an email attachment by opening the document in a compatible signing app, adding your signature, and sharing the completed file. This avoids downloading the attachment to a computer simply to sign and return it.

Sign an email attachment on your phone

1. Open the email containing the PDF attachment.
2. Tap the attachment and select Open with or Share, depending on your email app.
3. Choose a compatible PDF signing app, such as Signeasy.
4. Open the document, insert your signature, and complete any required fields.
5. Save the signed PDF and attach the completed copy to your reply.

If the attachment opens in a preview that does not support signing, download the PDF first and open the saved file in your signing app.

For a Word attachment, Signeasy also supports signing documents uploaded in DOC or DOCX format and produces a signed PDF. See how to add a signature to a Word document for the available methods.

Sign Gmail attachments on Android

In Gmail on Android, open the PDF attachment and share it with Signeasy's Android app to complete the signing process. Separately, Signeasy's Google Workspace add-on supports signing and sending attachments from the Gmail sidebar on the web. The add-on is not the same workflow as opening a file from the Android Gmail app.

This option is particularly useful when documents are received, reviewed, and returned through email.

If you sign PDF on Android from multiple email threads, give each completed file a clear name before sending it back. Keep the original attachment until you've confirmed the correct signed version has been delivered.

How to save, share, and sign PDFs offline on Android

After you sign PDF on Android, save the completed document in a location where you can find and share the correct version later. The available options depend on your signing app, but typically include local storage, email, or connected cloud services.

Save and share a signed PDF

In Google Drive, you can save the annotated original or create a separate copy. In a PDF reader, use the app's save, export, or share controls.

Signeasy lets users download completed documents, email them to recipients, or send them to a connected cloud-storage account. When signed in with the same account, users can also access their document status and completed files across supported devices.

Keeping the original and signed copies separate is useful for forms, contracts, and approvals that may need to be reviewed later.

Sign a PDF on Android without internet access

You can sign PDF on Android offline if your signing app supports offline use and the document is already available on your device.

Signeasy supports offline signing with an important requirement: the document must be opened or downloaded in the Android app while an internet connection is available.

To use the feature:

1. Open or import the PDF in Signeasy while connected to the internet.
2. If you lose connectivity, continue entering the required information and signature.
3. Select Done and save the document as a local draft.
4. When your connection returns, open the saved draft and finalize the document.

This distinction matters because an offline draft is not the same as a finalized, shared agreement. Make sure the document is completed and synchronized before relying on the signed copy.

If you need to sign PDF on Android when a document is password-protected, you must enter the password or otherwise have permission to sign the file. Signeasy also provides guidance on how to sign secured PDF documents.

See how Signeasy saves offline Android signing work as a draft and lets you finalize the document after reconnecting.

When to request signatures instead of adding your own

When several people need to sign PDF on Android, a signature-request workflow is more appropriate than collecting individual signatures through edited attachments. It allows the sender to invite recipients, assign fields, set the signing order, and monitor completion.

How to request signatures using Signeasy on Android

1. Open the document. Select the original PDF in the Signeasy Android app and choose Send for Signature.
2. Add recipients. Tap Add Signer and enter each recipient's name and email address. Use Add Yourself if you also need to sign.
3. Set the signing order. Enable Set Signing Order when recipients must sign in sequence. Arrange them in the required order.
4. Assign signature fields. Select the relevant signer and place the required fields on the document.
5. Send the request. Review the details, add an optional message, and send the document to the recipients.

If signing order is enabled, the request proceeds through the designated sequence. If signing order is disabled, recipients can receive the request without waiting for earlier recipients to finish.

How Signeasy helps track completed agreements

If your team needs to sign PDF on Android for customer agreements, employment forms, or purchasing approvals, the next concern is often whether everyone has signed.

Signeasy's electronic signature software supports sending requests and tracking their status. Recipients can sign remotely, while senders can see which documents are still pending.

For completed agreements, Signeasy's audit trail and certificate of authenticity provide a record of signing events. This helps document the signing process instead of relying only on a signature image embedded in a PDF.

For sensitive agreements, Signeasy's Business Pro plan supports two-factor authentication for signers. This adds an identity-check step before recipients access the agreement. The Business plan's two-factor authentication is for account login, not the same signer-verification feature.

Signeasy's Trust Seal adds a cryptographic seal designed to reveal changes made to a document after signing. That is different from simply drawing a signature on the PDF.

These controls help teams match the signing process to the importance of the agreement. The appropriate authentication and evidence requirements still depend on the document and applicable legal obligations.

Sign and send PDFs from Android with less back-and-forth

Android PDF signing has two distinct outcomes: a completed file containing your own signature or a tracked request awaiting other people's signatures. Google Drive and PDF editors support the first, while Signeasy also supports collecting recipient signatures and retaining the completed agreement with its signing records.

The Signeasy Android app supports personal signing, recipient requests, completion tracking, and access to signed agreements. Teams can move from receiving a PDF to collecting the required signatures without exchanging separate edited copies.