PDF Expert has been updated for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 with Handwriting Recognition, Apple Pencil Pro squeeze support, and a refreshed Liquid Glass interface. The update makes handwritten PDF annotations searchable while giving iPad users faster access to frequently used PDF tools.
Handwriting Recognition can find handwritten notes inside individual PDFs or across an entire PDF Expert library. The update also works with existing annotations, while Apple Pencil Pro users can open the PDF Expert tool palette with a squeeze.
Handwriting Recognition Makes Notes Searchable
PDF Expert can now recognize handwritten annotations and index them for search. Users can search within an open PDF or across their entire library when they remember a note but not the document where it was written.
The feature supports 29 languages and works with both new and existing annotations. Handwriting added to a PDF before the update, including handwriting created in another app, can also be indexed.
The recognition does not change the appearance of handwritten notes. They remain in their original form while becoming searchable in the same way as typed text.
Handwriting Can Also Be Converted To Text
PDF Expert continues to offer handwriting-to-text conversion for users who prefer typed notes. The Pen and Marker tools can automatically convert handwriting into digital text as it is written.
The Text and Note tools also support handwriting conversion when using Apple Pencil. This is separate from Handwriting Recognition, which lets users keep their original handwriting while making it searchable.
Handwriting Recognition is available as a Premium feature. Free users can still use the Text tool to convert handwriting into typed text.
Apple Pencil Pro Squeeze Opens PDF Tools
PDF Expert now supports the Apple Pencil Pro squeeze gesture, giving iPad users a faster way to access editing and annotation tools. Squeezing the Pencil opens PDF Expert’s tool palette directly on the page.
The palette includes pens, markers, highlighters, shapes, stamps, signatures, and measurement tools. Users can also adjust color, thickness, and opacity, access recent or favorite tools, switch to the eraser, and undo or redo actions.
Apple Pencil Pro squeeze requires an Apple Pencil Pro and a compatible iPad. If the squeeze gesture is assigned to another action, users can select Show Tool Palette in Apple Pencil settings.
Liquid Glass Comes To More Of PDF Expert
PDF Expert expands Apple’s Liquid Glass design across more areas of the app, including the sidebar, document viewer, toolbar, and Presentation mode.
The update also adds dedicated undo and redo buttons, making it easier to reverse an action while annotating or editing a document.
PDF Expert Updated For iOS 27 And iPadOS 27
The latest PDF Expert update is available now alongside Apple’s iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 releases for compatible iPhone and iPad devices.
The update is designed to work with Apple’s latest software from day one, with Handwriting Recognition providing a particularly useful addition for users who rely on handwritten notes across large PDF libraries.
(via PDF Expert)
