PDF Expert
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    Contents
    • Using PDF Expert
      • Getting Started with PDF Expert
      • Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text
      • Text comments, shapes, and pop-up notes
      • Insert stamps to PDFs
      • Customize text and annotation colors
      • Draw on a PDF file
      • Use stickers in PDF Expert for iOS
      • View, search, and remove annotations
      • Export Annotation Summary
      • Content Selection Tool
      • Edit text in PDF files
      • Work with images in PDFs
      • Work with to-page and to-web links
      • Remove sensitive content
      • Supported forms and fields
      • Fill out PDF forms
      • Sign PDF documents
      • Enhance and adjust your scans
      • Convert scanned documents into text (OCR)
      • Scale and measure drawings
      • Polygon and polyline shapes
      • Red Line tools
      • Convert images, MS Office and iWork files to PDF
      • Export PDFs to other formats on Mac
      • Convert PDFs to images, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Text files on iOS
      • Reading mode
      • Select your way to scroll pages
      • Enable the two-page view
      • Zooming modes in PDF Expert
      • Jump to a specific page
      • Bookmark pages
      • Create a table of contents in a PDF file
      • Turn on the Night or Sepia theme
      • Read PDF text out loud
      • Keep your device awake while reading
      • View two PDFs side by side
      • Add page numbers, bates numbers, and text
      • Use Smart Search
      • AI Chat with PDF
      • Page number indicator
      • Create a new PDF file
      • Add, delete, and rearrange PDF pages
      • Rename files and folders
      • Recents and Favorites
      • Sort files and folders by name, date, and size
      • Password protect PDFs
      • Save the file as flatten
      • Reduce the PDF file size
      • Merge PDFs
      • Manage annotated pages
      • Move files and folders
      • Switch between the Grid and List views
      • Mark files and folders with color tags
      • Open a file in PDF Expert
      • Organize your files with Inbox
      • Page Resize
      • Access your device files via the Files app folder
      • Sync your PDF files through web clouds
      • Sync a folder from cloud storage
      • Connect to Mac or PC via SMB
      • Set up sync with Mac via SFTP
      • Time Capsule setup
      • Share files via the Share button
      • Transfer files between iOS device and desktop using Wi-Fi
      • Transfer files from Safari to PDF Expert for iOS
      • Transfer files between iPad and iPhone using WebDAV
      • Share text with other apps
      • Share files from cloud via a link
      • Transfer files between PDF Expert and your Mac using a USB cable
      • PDF Expert Widgets
      • Turn on the Dark Mode
      • Work with tabs on your iPad
      • Customize the toolbar in PDF Expert for iOS
      • Create your own toolset in PDF Expert for iOS
      • Make PDF Expert your default PDF viewer on Mac
      • Open email attachments in PDF Expert
      • Keyboard Shortcuts
      • Make presentations with PDF Expert and FaceTime
      • Full Screen Mode on Mac
      • Getting Started with Tools tab on Mac
      • Presentation Mode
      • Improve your workflow with Sidecar and Camera Continuity
      • Change the app's language on iOS
      • Convert PDF to black and white on Mac
      • Supported Scripting in AcroForms (Adobe Acrobat forms)
      • Supported Scripting in XFA (LiveCycle Designer forms)
      • URL schemes
    • Troubleshooting
      • PDF Expert quits or doesn't open
      • PDF Expert freezes
      • All files in the app look blank
      • Annotation tools do not work
      • Printing issues on Mac
      • Corrupted files
      • Sync issues
      • Restore accidentally deleted files
      • File cannot be opened
      • Annotations made in PDF Expert are not displayed correctly in a third-party app on iOS
      • File loads slowly
      • Garbled text
      • AI Chat with PDF issues
      • Connection issues on iOS
      • iCloud files don't stay downloaded
    • Billing & Subscription
      • How to get PDF Expert
      • Set up an account for cross-platform app usage
      • How to get PDF Expert Premium
      • Check and manage your subscription
      • How to cancel the free trial
      • The PDF Expert License FAQ
      • The “trial expired” message appears after a purchase
      • Is PDF Expert available on Windows?
      • The PDF Expert Billing FAQ
      • The difference between PDF Expert 2 and PDF Expert 3
    • Contact us

    Sync your PDF files through web clouds

    PDF Expert allows for keeping your files up-to-date between your iOS and macOS devices. All you need is PDF Expert installed on both platforms, access to the Internet, and any cloud storage (e.g. iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive etc.). Files you edit on the iOS device will sync to your Mac and vice versa if you connect to the same cloud storage account on both platforms.

    Jump to:
    • How to connect your device to the cloud storage
    • How to sync PDF files through your cloud storage
    • How to access, annotate, edit, and download synced PDF files

    Connect your device to the cloud storage

    PDF Expert works with iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, Office 365, Windows SMB and any other storage which supports the WebDAV/FTP/SFTP protocol connection. If you can't find the storage of your choice among available options, please check its support website. If the storage supports WebDAV/FTP/ SFTP/SMB protocols, you can configure the connection and access it in PDF Expert using the supported protocol.

    Mac iPad iPhone

    To connect to iCloud:

    1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Apple ID. If you’re using macOS Mojave or earlier, click iCloud.
    2. Enter your Apple ID. When you sign in, iCloud is turned on automatically.

    To connect to another cloud storage:

    1. Install the needed cloud storage app.
    2. Follow the onscreen instructions to log in.

    To connect to iCloud:

    1. Go to the system settings of your device.
    2. Tap your name and select iCloud.
    3. Enable the PDF Expert toggle.

    To connect to another cloud storage:

    1. Make sure your iPad is connected to the network.
    2. Launch PDF Expert and tap + Add Connection on the sidebar.
    3. Select the cloud storage to sync, and provide your credentials.
    4. Tap Sign in.

    To connect to iCloud:

    1. Go to the system settings of your device.
    2. Tap your name and select iCloud.
    3. Enable the PDF Expert toggle.

    To connect to another cloud storage:

    1. Launch PDF Expert and tap the Plus button  .
    2. Tap + Add Connection and select one from the list.
    3. Follow the on-screen instructions to log in.

    Note: To sync files between devices, you should connect to the same cloud storage on each of them.

    Sync PDF files through your cloud storage

    To sync files between devices, you need to upload them to your cloud storage first. There is no need to do it twice - PDF Expert will automatically catch and sync all further annotations.

    Mac iPad iPhone

    To upload a PDF file from Mac:

    1. Open the file you want to synchronize.
    2. Click Save As or Save as Flatten in the File menu.
    3. In the Where field, select the folder of your cloud.

    To upload multiple files at once:

    1. Open the Finder app and press and hold the Command key, then click the files needed.
    2. To move the files, drag & drop them to the cloud storage section on the sidebar, or copy and paste the items there to store the original files locally and edit their copies in the cloud.

    To upload files from your iOS device with iCloud storage:

    1. Open PDF Expert.
    2. Tap ... at the top right > Select.
    3. Select the files or folders you wish to sync with iCloud.
    4. Tap Move or Copy and select PDF Expert – iCloud.

    You can also drag & drop the desired files to the PDF Expert – iCloud tab.

    To upload files from your iOS device using another cloud:

    1. Open PDF Expert, tap ... at the top right > Select.
    2. Select the files you want to synchronize.
    3. Select Upload on the sidebar and select the cloud for sync.
    4. Tap Upload at the top right.

    You can also drag & drop the desired files into your cloud folder.

    To upload files from your iOS device with iCloud storage:

    1. Open PDF Expert, tap ... at the top right > Select.
    2. Select the files you want to synchronize.
    3. On the toolbar at the bottom, tap Copy to both keep the file original locally on your device and edit its copy on the cloud. Tap Move if you want your file to be stored and edited on the cloud only.
    4. Tick the folder of your cloud storage and tap the button at the top right.

    You can also drag & drop the desired files into your cloud folder.

    To upload files from your iOS device using another cloud:

    1. Open PDF Expert, tap ... at the top right > Select.
    2. Select the files you want to synchronize.
    3. Tap More on the toolbar at the bottom.
    4. Select Upload > your cloud storage for sync.
    5. Tap Upload at the top right.

    You can also drag & drop the desired files into your cloud folder.

    Access, annotate, edit, and download synced PDFs

    Mac iPad iPhone

    To access files, open the Finder app and click your cloud storage for sync on the sidebar. If PDF Expert is your default PDF viewer, double-click the needed file to open it in PDF Expert. If not, right click the file > ‘Open with’ > PDF Expert.

    Synced files cannot be accessed directly from PDF Expert due to the specifics of Apple File System and it’s necessary to open the file through Finder > your cloud storage every time after you made changes in the file using another device. Meanwhile, when you annotate or edit the file on Mac while it is connected to the Internet, all the changes are saved to the cloud automatically.

    Note: The folder with files from PDF Expert in Finder can be called either PDF Expert or Documents since our apps use a single iCloud container.

    It's possible to access your synced files on the sidebar or in your cloud storage folder in the My Files section   in PDF Expert. If you use iCloud, you can access the files both in PDF Expert in iCloud and Files folders. PDF Expert in iCloud is PDF Expert's iCloud container that allows you to sync files from the app to iCloud and access them in the iCloud folder in PDF Expert or the PDF Expert app on another device. The Files folder represents iCloud Drive itself and also provides you with access to all files saved locally on your device.

    When you're connected to the network, PDF Expert lets you work with files right in the cloud storage, without downloading them - all the changes will be automatically saved to the cloud. Meanwhile, you can also download files from different cloud storages with a couple of taps:

    1. Launch PDF Expert and open the folder of your cloud storage.
    2. Tap ... at the top right > Selectand pick the files or folders you wish to download.
    3. Tap Download. Now, you can work with these files locally in PDF Expert.

    Tip: If you want to annotate files offline but upload them to your cloud later, you can sync folders from web storage.

    It's possible to access your synced files in your cloud storage folder in the My Files section    in PDF Expert. If you use iCloud, you can access the files both in PDF Expert – iCloud and Files folders. PDF Expert – iCloud is PDF Expert's iCloud container that allows you to sync files from the app to iCloud and access them in the iCloud folder in PDF Expert or the PDF Expert app on another device. The Files folder represents iCloud Drive itself and also provides you with access to all files saved locally on your device.

    When you're connected to the network, PDF Expert lets you work with files right in the cloud storage, without downloading them - all the changes will be automatically saved to the cloud. Meanwhile, you can also download files from different cloud storages with a couple of taps:

    1. Launch PDF Expert and open the folder of your cloud storage.
    2. Tap ... at the top right > Selectand pick the files or folders you wish to download.
    3. Tap Download. Now, you can work with these files locally in PDF Expert.

    Tip: If you want to annotate files offline but upload them to your cloud later, you can sync folders from web storage. 

    Read next: Sync a folder from cloud storage
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