Your iPhone has a powerful markup tool – here’s how to use it

It’s now been more than 17 years since the iPhone’s debut – how time flies – and considering how many features Apple has added in that time, you could be forgiven if you haven’t tried all of them.

One of the features you may have never come across is markup. Markup is a set of drawing and annotation tools that you can use to add annotations to documents and photos. These tools are available in several apps in iOS.

For example, you can use markup to highlight something on a screenshot before sharing it, or to add notes to a document that is part of a research project. There are many ways to use the markup tools and they are easily accessible.

The markup tools appear in various places throughout iOS and its apps, and if you haven’t noticed them yet, you’ll wonder why you missed them. For example, in Photos, you can open an image and then tap the Edit button (the icon with three sliders at the bottom) and then tap the Mark button (the pencil icon at the top).

These markup tools can also be easily accessed when taking a screenshot (via the power button and volume up button). Tap the thumbnail that appears to view the screenshot in a larger size, then tap the markup button at the top. You can then add some arrows or doodles to your screenshot, for example, before saving it.

You can also find the markup tools whenever you open a document in certain apps. One of these apps is the iOS Files app: Open a PDF by tapping it. Below you can see the markup button. This can be useful if you want to add a signature to a document, for example.

Wherever you open the markup tools, you’ll see the same options. There are different pens to choose from (scroll left or right if you can’t see them all), as well as an eraser, ruler and selection tool. You will also see a color button that allows you to set the color of the pens and the transparency + (Plus) button to access other tools.

Perhaps the best way to figure out what each markup tool does is to simply select it and try to draw something: the pen graphics will give you an idea of ​​the marks they leave on the screen. Don’t worry about making mistakes because you can simply tap the Undo button (the left-pointing arrow) at the top to retrace your steps.

The selection tool (with the striped tip) lets you select annotations you’ve already created – just tap or draw over something that’s already on the screen. Once something is selected, you can move it to another location, resize it, duplicate it, or delete it. There’s also the eraser tool (with the flat pink tip) that easily wipes away any marks.

When a tool is selected, you can tap it again to change the line size and opacity. If you want to change the color, tap the colored dot on the right: you can choose from a grid or spectrum of colors, or mix red, blue and green as needed. You can also tap any color on the screen to select it.

About the + (Plus) button gives you access to other markup tools, including stickers, text and shapes. For example, you can insert an arrow to indicate something important on the screen, add a text caption as a caption under an image, or add a smiley face as a sticker over a document.

Tap any of the items you add to the screen to resize or rotate them, and to change properties such as colors. For shapes, you can change the outline color, fill color, and even add text—just double-tap the center of a shape to start writing (text formatting tools appear when you select the shape).

As you progress, you’ll discover some useful tricks for markup tools. For example, tap and hold a freehand shape (such as a circle or rectangle) with the selection tool. You will then see the Snap to Shapes option. Tap to convert your sketches into perfect shapes. When you’re happy with your annotations, tap Completed to save her (or Cancel to delete them all).

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