8 Easy Ways to Remove Highlight from PDF on Any Device

Part 1: How to Remove Highlight from PDF- Getting Started

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Part 2: How to Remove Highlight from PDF Text? [Done in Minutes]

Highlights can be helpful but sometimes, you just want a clean, distraction-free PDF. Knowing how to delete highlights in PDF can save you time and effort. This powerful tool lets you remove highlights without changing the original text or formatting.

Whether it’s a report, scanned file, or study notes, Tenorshare PDNob makes your editing smooth, smart, and fast—perfect for anyone who needs quick and clean results.

PDNob isn’t just a highlight remover it’s a smarter, faster, easier PDF editor powered by the new DeepSeek R1 model, making it stronger than ever.

How to Delete Highlights in PDF with PDNob:

• Download and install PDNob PDF Editor on your Windows or Mac. Once installed, launch the software.
• On the main dashboard, click “Open PDF” and choose the file containing the highlights. It loads instantly, thanks to smart optimization.

• Click directly on the highlighted area in your PDF. A small menu will appear with the delete option.

• Hit “Delete” and the highlight disappears no damage to the original text. Save your cleaned-up file when done.

Part 3: How to Remove Highlight from a PDF Online

Removing highlights online is simple and fast, especially when you need to know how to remove all highlights in PDF at once. Tools like Sejda let you delete multiple highlights without installing anything.

It’s a great option for quick edits and saves time when you're in a rush. Just upload your file, choose what to delete, and download the cleaned PDF done in minutes.

Steps- How to Remove Highlight in PDF Online:

• Go to Sejda’s Delete PDF Annotations page in your browser.
• Click on “Upload PDF files” and choose the PDF you want to clean.

• Once the file loads, select “Highlight” as the annotation type you want to remove. You can also specify which pages to apply the action to.
• Click “Delete Annotations” and wait a few seconds.
• Download your updated PDF with all highlights removed simple, clean, and fast.

Part 4: How to Remove Highlight from PDF in Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is one of the most powerful and reliable tools for handling PDFs. From editing to annotating, it provides everything in one place.

When it comes to how to remove highlight from PDF in Adobe Acrobat, the process is smooth, accurate, and perfect for professional use. With just a few clicks, you can delete individual or all highlights making your PDFs cleaner and more organized.

Steps – Remove Highlight from PDF in Adobe Acrobat:

• Open Adobe Acrobat and upload the PDF file you want to edit.
• Navigate to the highlighted text you want to remove.
• Click on the highlighted area this will outline the area in blue.
• A small toolbar will appear with three icons click the trash icon to delete the highlight. Save your document to apply changes.

Steps – How to Remove All Highlights in PDF at Once (Adobe Acrobat Pro):

• Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
• Go to “Comments” pane on the right sidebar. This shows a list of all annotations, including highlights.

• Use Ctrl+A (Cmd+A on Mac) to select all comments/highlights or manually select only the highlights.
• Right-click and choose “Delete” to remove all highlights instantly. Save the file this is how to remove all highlights in PDF at once using Acrobat Pro.

Part 5: How to Remove Highlight from PDF in Foxit Reader

Foxit PDF Reader is a lightweight yet powerful alternative to Adobe Acrobat. If you're wondering how to remove highlight from Foxit PDF, the process is simple and ideal for users who want to clean up their documents without much effort. Foxit’s Comments panel allows you to remove all highlight annotations at once saving you from deleting them one by one.

How to Remove Highlight from Foxit PDF Windows:

• Open the PDF file in Foxit PDF Editor or Foxit PDF Reader for Windows.
• Click the “Comments” panel on the left side of the screen. Sort the comments by type so you can view all highlights grouped together.

• Double-click the "Highlight" comment category to expand and list all highlighted items.
• Select the last comment, then hold Shift and click the first one to select all highlight comments in one go.
• Right-click on the selected comments and choose “Delete” from the menu. All highlights will be removed instantly.

Part 6: How to Remove Highlight in PDF XChange Editor

PDF XChange Editor is a fast, lightweight, and feature-rich PDF tool used by many professionals. Whether you're editing, annotating, or viewing documents, it offers impressive control and speed. If you're figuring out how to remove highlight from PDF XChange Editor, the process is quick either remove all highlights at once or just a few using smart tools built right in.

Steps – How to Remove Highlight from PDF XChange Editor:

• Open your PDF in PDF XChange Editor.
• Press Ctrl+M or open the Comments Pane from the left sidebar.
• Group comments by type to show all highlights together.
• Select the first and last highlight while holding Shift, or use Ctrl+A to select all. Press the Delete key on your keyboard to remove all highlights instantly.

To Delete Individual Highlights:

• Activate the “Select Comments” tool from the toolbar/ribbon.
• Click on the highlighted area you want to remove.
• Press the Delete key or right-click and choose “Delete” from the menu. Save your file to keep the changes.

Part 7: How to Remove Highlight from PDF in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge, the default browser on Windows, doubles as a basic PDF viewer and editor. It allows users to make simple edits like adding or removing highlights without installing any extra software.

Steps – How to Remove Highlight from PDF Microsoft Edge:

• Right-click your PDF file and select “Open with > Microsoft Edge.”
• Locate the highlighted text in the document.
• Right-click on the highlighted section and select “Highlight” > “None.”
• The highlight will disappear immediately. Click the Save icon at the top to preserve the changes.

Part 8: How to Erase Highlight in PDF on Mac (Preview App)

Mac users don’t need third-party software to handle simple PDF edits. The built-in Preview app offers a fast and free way to view, annotate, and remove highlights from PDFs. Whether you want to delete a single highlight or erase an entire page with annotations, here's how to remove highlight from PDF in Preview easily and effectively.

Steps – How to Remove Highlight from PDF in Preview (Mac):

• Locate your PDF file and open it with Preview.
• Click on View > Thumbnails or View > Contact Sheet to see all pages. Select the page(s) that contain the highlights you want to remove.
• Press the Delete key on your keyboard or go to Edit > Delete.

Note:

This method deletes the entire page, including any annotations and highlights. If you only want to erase highlights, consider using a more advanced Tenoshare PDNob PDF editor.

Part 9: FAQs about How to Remove Highlight from PDF

1. How can I remove the yellow highlight from a PDF document

To remove a yellow highlight, open your PDF in a supported editor and click on the highlighted text. You’ll see an option to delete or remove the highlight. Simply select it, and the highlight will be gone.

2. What should I do if I only have the highlighted PDF and not the original file

You can still remove highlights without needing the original version. The highlight is just an overlay and doesn't affect the actual text. Use a PDF editor that allows highlight removal, and your content will stay intact.

3. Why does the annotation stay after I delete the highlight

Some PDF tools treat highlights and comments separately. Even if the highlight is removed, the note or comment might remain. Check the comments panel and delete any extra annotations manually.

4. Is it safe to use online services to delete highlights from a PDF

It’s generally safe to use trusted online tools for non-sensitive files. However, if your document contains private or important information, it's better to use desktop software to protect your data.

Parting Words

Understanding how to remove highlight from PDF can make your document editing experience much smoother.

Whether you're tidying up study notes or preparing a clean professional file, the right tool makes all the difference.

While there are many options available, Tenorshare PDNob offers a smart, reliable, and efficient solution. With its advanced features and user-friendly design, it takes the stress out of PDF editing and helps you get the job done with ease and precision.

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