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Scan and Sign Documents on iPhone

Scan a paper document or open an existing PDF, add your saved signature, initials, and date, then export and return the signed file without printing.

Reusable signatures Initials and dates No account required On-device flow
Best for: contracts, forms, and approvals that need a signature, initials, or date before you send the PDF back.
Download on the App Store

How to scan and sign a document on iPhone

Capture every page, review the PDF, place your signature and any required initials or date, then export the finished copy. ScanLens keeps the capture and signature workflow on the iPhone; the file only leaves when you share it.

Full-screen pad

Draw a signature on a full-screen pad

Rotate to landscape for a signature pad that uses the whole screen. Pick a color, choose a thickness, draw naturally, and save the result to your on-device library.

Can you use an e-signature app free on iPhone?

Yes. ScanLens is a free app: scan a paper form or open an existing PDF, add a saved signature, initials, and date, then export the signed copy. No ScanLens account is required.

Use the full-screen pad to draw with your finger, save the result on your iPhone, and place it again when another document arrives. This avoids printing, signing by hand, and scanning the same document a second time.

If your only task is adding one signature to an existing file, follow the shorter guide to sign a PDF on iPhone. For contracts and forms, you may also need to mark the PDF, protect the signed copy, or reduce its size before email.

How the e-signature tool works

1. Create your signature

Draw your signature with a finger on the full-screen pad. Adjust the line color or thickness, then save it for later documents.

2. Place it on the document

Drag a saved signature onto the PDF, then resize, rotate, and position it. Add it to each page that requires your signature or initials.

3. Add dates, initials, and text

Add dates, initials, and text where the form requires them. These elements become part of the exported PDF.

4. Save and share

Save the signed PDF, then email it, AirDrop it, move it to Files, or send it to your chosen cloud storage. The recipient receives a standard PDF and does not need ScanLens.

Save multiple signatures for different purposes

You can keep separate saved marks for different fields:

ScanLens lets you save each one separately. When you open the signature tool, you see your saved signatures as a list and tap to pick the right one. You can delete any signature when you no longer want it stored on your device.

Are e-signatures legally binding?

ScanLens places a graphical signature on the PDF. It does not add a verified identity, digital certificate, or signing audit trail. Follow the recipient’s required signing method; the electronic-signature guide explains the distinctions. Are e-signatures legally binding?

Security and privacy

Stored locally on your device

Saved signatures stay in ScanLens’s local signature store, which is excluded from device backup. Cloud backup of documents does not sync the saved-signature gallery. A signature placed in an exported PDF travels with that file.

On-device rendering

When you place a signature on a PDF, the rendering happens locally. The signed PDF is produced on your iPhone. You choose where it goes next — keeping it on your device, sharing it over AirDrop, emailing it, or syncing it to a cloud service you control.

App Lock protection

You can enable Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode lock on the entire ScanLens app. This prevents someone who picks up your unlocked phone from opening ScanLens, accessing your saved signatures, or viewing signed documents.

PDF encryption for signed documents

For extra sensitive signed documents, you can apply password protection to the PDF after signing. The recipient needs the password to open the document. See the password-protect PDF feature for details.

Frequently asked questions

Are e-signatures from ScanLens legally binding?

ScanLens places a graphical signature on the PDF. It does not add a verified identity, digital certificate, or signing audit trail. Follow the recipient’s required signing method; the electronic-signature guide explains the distinctions.

Does ScanLens meet eIDAS requirements for advanced or qualified signatures?

ScanLens is designed for standard PDF signing workflows on iPhone, not for advanced or qualified trust-service-provider workflows. If a document specifically requires advanced or qualified electronic signatures, use a platform built for that level of identity verification and audit trail.

Can I create and save multiple signatures?

Yes. You can create multiple signatures — for example, a full-name signature for contracts, initials for initialing pages, and a more casual signature for informal documents. Each is saved on-device and can be reused on any PDF. You can also delete signatures when you no longer need them.

Where are my signatures stored?

Saved signatures stay in ScanLens’s local signature store, which is excluded from device backup. Cloud backup of documents does not sync the saved-signature gallery. A signature placed in an exported PDF travels with that file.

Can the recipient verify the signature?

The recipient can see the graphical signature in the exported PDF. ScanLens does not provide cryptographic signature validation, a verified signer identity, or an audit trail. Use the verification method required by the recipient.

Is there a free digital signature app to download?

ScanLens is free to download and there is no separate signature app to install — signing lives inside the same iPhone app that scans the document. Placing the signature belongs to the paid feature set; the pricing page lists the plans. The signature you create is stored on the device and reused, so the work of making it happens once.

Start signing documents on your iPhone

Open a PDF from email, Files, or cloud storage, add your signature, initials, and date, then send the signed file back from your iPhone.