Meet the New Preview App in iOS 26: Edit, Sign, and Scan Without Leaving Your iPhone
Apple’s iOS 26 introduces a dedicated Preview app for iPhone. It combines tools for viewing, editing, signing, and exporting both PDFs and images in one place, eliminating the need for multiple apps.
By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
October 9, 2025
In the past, that often meant switching between Files, Notes, and third-party apps.
Here's a Cool Tip: Use the new Preview app in iOS 26.
With iOS 26, Apple adds Preview to the iPhone, giving users a single, reliable workspace for documents and images.
It’s simple, quick, and saves time.
Preview is a new iPhone app for viewing and editing PDFs and images.
It allows you to annotate, fill out forms, sign documents, crop and resize pictures, and scan pages using your camera.
The Preview app reduces app clutter and makes basic editing tasks straightforward.
For business users, educators, and everyday iPhone owners, it’s a welcome improvement to the workflow.
Key Functions
- Open PDFs or images directly from Files or Mail.
- Fill and sign PDF forms with stored AutoFill information.
- Add highlights, notes, or shapes to PDFs.
- Scan physical documents with your iPhone camera and save them as PDFs.
- Crop, rotate, or resize images and export them in several formats.
- Share or export files instantly through the Share menu.
In short, Preview turns your iPhone into a practical document and image workstation.
What You’ll Gain
- Edit or sign files without switching apps
- One tool for PDFs and images
- Less clutter and faster results
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's how to do it.
On iPhone (iOS 26)
- Update to iOS 26 in Settings > General > Software Update.
- Open Preview app from your Home Screen. It installs automatically with the update.
- Choose a file from Recents, Shared, or Browse.
- To fill out a PDF form, tap the Form Filling button and select a field. Enter text, or tap a suggestion that appears above the onscreen keyboard.
- You can scan text or a document to create a PDF. Tap Scan Documents in the middle of the screen, position each page in the camera to capture it, then tap the checkmark (Done) button.
- To lock a PDF with a password, open a PDF, tap the Actions Menu (down caret) button next to the filename, then tap Lock. Turn on Require Password, then enter a password in the Password and Verify fields.
- To remove image backgrounds, tap the More button at the top of the screen, then choose Remove Background.
- To sign a form, tap the signature icon and use your stored signature or create a new one.
- To highlight, underline, or strike through text in a PDF, open a PDF, then select text. Tap Highlight, then tap a highlight color, the underline button, or the strike through button.
- Tap Share to export your edited file as a PDF, image, or other format.
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fig. 1 - New Preview App in iOS 26 |
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Brings together editing, signing, and scanning in one app.
- Speeds up tasks for professionals on the move.
- Integrates with system privacy and file management.
- Free and included with iOS 26.
Cons
- Some features take practice to locate.
- No cross-platform support for Windows or Android.
- Lacks advanced tools such as complex encryption or batch editing."
For example, a teacher can mark up student assignments right on an iPhone.
A business user can sign and send a contract without using a laptop. These small conveniences add up quickly in daily work.
Configuration Guide and Access
- Availability: Installed automatically on any iPhone running iOS 26.
- Subscription: None required.
- Settings: Minimal configuration. It follows system permissions for files and camera use.
- Security: All files remain within Apple’s secure framework.
- Hiding the app: You can remove it from your Home Screen but cannot uninstall it completely.
Feature Access
- Included automatically in iOS 26.
- Free for all users with compatible iPhones.
- Works on iPad with Apple Pencil support.
- No additional subscription or download needed.
- Not available for Windows, or Android.
Score
Criterion | Score | JustificationValue 8Greatly improves mobile productivity for common editing tasks.Usability 7Simple layout and tools, though some options take time to discover.Wow Factor 6A solid quality-of-life upgrade that brings Mac functionality to iPhone.Total: 21 / 30 → 👍 Good.A practical, reliable feature worth adopting for anyone who edits or signs files on their phone.
Key Takeaways
Preview in iOS 26 streamlines editing, signing, and sharing.
It consolidates several small tasks into one lightweight tool. For most users, it’s all the functionality they need for documents and images on the go.
Try It Yourself
Open the Preview app on your iPhone today.
Scan a document, sign a form, or edit an image to see how much faster it feels compared with juggling multiple apps.
Then share this tip and subscribe for more One Cool Tip updates.
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