Support

We answer every email. Usually within 24 hours.

If something isn't working, write to [email protected]. Tell us:

• The tool you used (Merge, Compress, etc.)
• Your iOS version and device model
• What you expected vs. what happened
• If you can, the input PDF (if it's not sensitive)

Frequently asked

The compressed PDF is the same size as the input. Why?

PDF Tools' compressor only operates on embedded images. Vector-only PDFs (PDFs exported from Pages, Word, web pages, etc.) have nothing to shrink — text and shapes are already minimal. We deliberately return the original file in that case rather than producing a larger "re-encoded" output.

Why can't the app extract text from my scanned PDF?

Scanned PDFs contain images of text, not selectable characters. The app needs OCR (optical character recognition) for those — that's on the v1.1 roadmap. Until then, you'll see the "This PDF appears to be image-based" message.

Word export looks different from the original PDF.

Word export preserves text, paragraph structure, headings, and bullet lists. It does not reproduce multi-column layouts, tables, or embedded images precisely. Use it for editable starting content, not pixel-perfect re-creation.

I bought Plus but it's not active on my new device.

Open Profile → Restore Purchases. Make sure you're signed into the same Apple ID you bought Plus with. Restore is also Apple's official path for switching devices — your purchase is tied to your Apple ID, not the device.

How do I refund Plus?

Apple processes all in-app purchase refunds. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com or contact Apple Support directly. We don't have access to refund your purchase ourselves.

Does PDF Tools work without internet?

Yes — entirely. The app processes everything locally with PDFKit. The only network call ever made is to verify your App Store purchase.

Where are my files saved?

Output PDFs are written to a temporary location and shown in the "Recent Files" carousel for 30 days. To save permanently, tap Share or Save and choose Save to Files — you can pick any location in Files.app or iCloud Drive.

I have a feature request.

We love these. Email us at [email protected]. Top requests for v1.1 right now: OCR for scanned PDFs, redaction, form filling.

Roadmap

Where we're going next:

• v1.1 — OCR. Run text recognition on scanned PDFs so Extract Text and PDF→Word work on them too.
• v1.2 — Bold/italic detection in Word export. Per-run font weight analysis.
• v1.3 — Redaction. Permanently remove text or regions from a PDF.

This is a wishlist, not a contract. Things shift based on what users actually ask for.