What Is Preview App on iOS 26/iPadOS 26? Features & Guide

Part 1. What is the Preview App on iOS 26/iPadOS 26

Overview of iPadOS 26/iOS 26 Preview App

The Preview App is Apple’s native document and image management tool, long available on macOS, and now officially brought to iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. It allows users to open, view, annotate, edit, and export PDFs and image files directly on iPhone and iPad, eliminating the need for third-party apps for most document-related tasks. This update makes mobile devices far more capable for professional, academic, and creative workflows.

Unlike the previous limited PDF viewers on iOS, Preview now supports interactive PDF annotations, form filling, digital signatures, and file conversions. It integrates seamlessly with Apple Pencil, providing a precise and natural handwriting or signing experience.

Supported Devices and System Requirements

• iPhone: iPhone 11 and later running iOS 26
• iPad: iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini (2019+) with iPadOS 26
• Architecture: 64-bit devices required
• Storage & Performance: At least 4GB RAM recommended for smooth handling of large PDFs and multi-page documents

The app is pre-installed with the OS, so no extra download is required. It works offline as well as with iCloud Drive and Files app integration, allowing easy access to cloud-stored documents.

Why Apple Introduced Preview on Mobile

Apple’s goal with the mobile Preview App is to bridge the gap between desktop and mobile productivity. Historically, advanced PDF editing on iPhone or iPad required third-party tools. With Preview, users now get:

• Native PDF Editing: Add annotations, highlights, comments, and shapes
• Form Filling & AutoFill: Complete interactive forms directly on iPad or iPhone
• Digital Signatures: Sign documents naturally using Apple Pencil or touch
• Multi-Window Productivity: On iPad, open multiple documents side by side for efficient workflows

Part 2: New Features in iOS 26/iPadOS 26 Preview App

The iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Preview App brings powerful PDF and image tools to mobile devices, combining ease of use with professional-grade features. Next, we’ll explore the standout features you’ll notice right away when using Preview within iOS 26 or iPadOS 26.

PDF Viewing and Navigation

• Smooth Rendering: Quickly open large PDFs and images
• Page Thumbnails & Table of Contents: Easily navigate multi-page documents

Annotation and Editing

• Highlight, Comment, Draw: Mark important text and add notes
• Digital Signatures: Sign contracts or forms with Apple Pencil or touch

Form Filling & AutoFill

• Complete interactive PDF forms: Efficiently with saved information and repeated entries

Multi-Window Support (iPad Only)

• Side-by-Side Documents: Compare PDFs or reference materials
• Drag-and-Drop: Move text and annotations between windows

Export and Sharing

• Export Formats: PDF, PDF/A, JPEG, PNG
• Seamless Sharing: iCloud, AirDrop, Mail, or third-party apps
• Preserve Layout: Keep original fonts, margins, and annotations intact

Note:

While the iOS 26 Preview App brings handy tools like annotation, signing, and image editing, it still can’t handle advanced text or layout edits. For Mac users on macOS 26, Tenorshare PDNob fills that gap. It lets you fully edit text, replace images, redact sensitive details, and manage layouts with ease—offering professional-grade PDF editing that goes far beyond Preview.

What Else Is New in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26?

Both OS versions feature a stunning Liquid Glass design, new Apple Intelligence capabilities like Live Translation in Messages and FaceTime, and improvements to core apps such as Phone, Messages, and Files. These updates complement the Preview app by creating a more connected and intelligent user experience.

iOS 26: New Features & Release Date

Part 3. How to Use Preview App on iOS 26/iPadOS 26

The iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Preview App allows you to view, annotate, edit, and manage PDFs and images directly on your iPhone or iPad. Here’s a practical guide to get started and make the most of its features.

Getting Started

• Find the App: Locate the Preview app in your iPad's app library or dock
• Open a File: Tap on a PDF or image to open it in Preview

Key Features and Actions

• Markup and Annotate: With Apple Pencil, you can doodle, highlight, and write directly on PDFs
• Fill and Sign Forms: Tap on a form field to use the AutoFill feature to quickly enter your contact information, then use the markup tools to add a signature
• Scan Documents: Use your iPad's camera to scan physical documents into digital PDFs
• View and Edit: The app allows you to browse all your saved PDFs and images, with a familiar sidebar from the Mac version showing your document pages
• Resize and Rotate: You can rotate and resize images and PDF pages directly within the app
• Remove Image Backgrounds: Tap an icon to remove the background from images, making it easier to focus on the subject

Tips for Using Preview

• Customize the Toolbar: Right-click (or long-press) on the toolbar to customize it with your most used actions
• Access Pages: Use the sidebar to view and manage individual pages within a multi-page document

How to Turn off Preview on iOS 26/iPadOS 26?

• Open: the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
• Scroll down: and tap on the General option
• Scroll down: again and tap on Screen Capture
• Toggle off: the switch next to Full-Screen Previews

How to get rid of screenshot preview on iPhone

Part 4. macOS 26 Preview App Alternative - Best PDF Editor

For heavy PDF edits—like changing text, images, or forms—the built-in Preview App falls short. It’s great for annotations, highlights, and signatures, but Tenorshare PDNob bridges the gap with full editing, OCR, and seamless conversions.

PDNob also adds AI tools for summarizing, extracting key details, and chatting with PDFs. Convert to Word, PowerPoint, or images, and merge, split, compress, or password-protect files—all on macOS 26 with a clean, user-friendly interface. Perfect for students and professionals managing complex documents.

Why Choose Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor

• Edit Text & Images — Modify existing text and replace, resize, or reposition images.
• AI Summarization — Instantly summarize PDF content with ChatGPT-powered AI.
• 99% Accurate OCR — Turn scanned pages into editable, searchable text.
• Multi‑Format Conversion — Export PDFs to Word, Excel, PPT, PNG, JPEG, and more.
• Merge & Split — Combine or separate PDFs quickly and cleanly.
• Annotate & Stamp — Highlight, underline, add notes, shapes, stamps, and more.
• Password & Encryption — Secure PDFs with passwords and encryption tools.
• Batch Processing — Apply tasks like conversion or compression to many files together.

How to Edit & Convert PDF on macOS 26

• Open PDNob PDF Editor, then click on the "Open PDF" button to import any PDF file you’ve downloaded.

• Click the “Edit” button on the top toolbar, then select the text you want to modify. A text box will appear, allowing you to change the text, font, style, size, and color.

• To add new text, click “Add Text” under the “Edit” section and place it where needed.
• To insert images, click the “Add Image” button and choose the image file to add.

• Once you have made all the necessary edits, click on the "Save" button in the top left corner.

FAQs of iOS 26 Preview App

Where can I find the Preview app on iOS 26 or iPadOS 26?

You can locate it in your dock or App Library. If it doesn’t show up, try Spotlight search.

Can I edit PDFs directly in the Preview app on iPhone or iPad?

Yes. Preview lets you annotate, highlight, fill forms, and add signatures on PDFs.

Does the Preview app support Apple Pencil on iPad?

Yes. You can use Apple Pencil to draw, highlight, or sign documents with ease.

Is the Preview app free on iOS 26?

Yes. It’s included with iOS 26, so there’s no extra download or cost.

Does the iOS 26 Preview app support image editing?

Yes. You can crop, rotate, resize, and even remove image backgrounds.

What’s the difference between Preview on Mac and Preview on iOS 26?

The Mac version offers more advanced editing. The iOS 26 version focuses on PDFs, images, and annotations in a touch-friendly way.

How do I turn off Preview on iOS 26?

You can’t uninstall it since it’s a built-in app, but you can hide it from your home screen, restrict its access in Screen Time, or use another default app for PDFs.

Why is iOS 26 Preview app not working?

If Preview crashes or won’t open files, try restarting your device, updating iOS, or resetting settings. Make sure the file isn’t corrupted or unsupported.

Conclusion

The iOS 26/iPadOS 26 Preview app offers powerful PDF annotation, signing, and form filling, boosting productivity on your iPad. However, for full PDF editing like text changes, Tenorshare PDNob is the perfect complement. Together, they provide a complete PDF solution for all your needs.

downloads :

PDNob PDF Editor Software- Smarter, Faster, Easier

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• Instantly read, summarize, and extract insights from PDF
• Convert PDF to 30+ formats like Word, Excel, and images
• Edit text, images, watermarks, links, and backgrounds for PDF
• 99% OCR precision for making scanned PDFs editable and searchable

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