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Use a screen reader to work with PDFs in the Microsoft 365 app

This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.

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Use the Microsoft 365 app with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to convert a document or picture into a PDF (Portable Document Format). You'll also learn how to sign a PDF.

Notes: 

  • New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

  • This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.

In this topic

Convert a document into a PDF

You can convert a document stored on your phone to a PDF that you can easily share with others.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. The focus moves to the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

  2. Swipe right until you hear "Actions," and then double-tap the screen. The Actions tab opens.

  3. Swipe right until you hear "Document to PDF," and then double-tap the screen. The Choose files menu opens, displaying your recent documents.

  4. Swipe right until you find the document you want, and then double-tap the screen. The PDF opens. If the document is not in the Choose files menu, swipe left until you reach the Browse button, and double-tap the screen. Locate the file you want, and then double-tap the screen to select it.

  5. To exit the PDF, swipe left until you hear "Back button," and then double-tap the screen. You're prompted to decide what to do with the PDF. Swipe right until you hear "Save as," and then double-tap the screen.

  6. The focus moves to the File name text field. By default, the file name is the same as that of the original document. If you want to change the name of the PDF, use the on-screen keyboard to type a new name, swipe right until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

  7. Swipe left or right to find the location where you want to save the PDF, and then double-tap the screen.

  8. To save the PDF, swipe left until you hear "Save," and then double-tap the screen. The PDF is saved and the focus returns to the Back button. Double-tap the screen to return to the Actions tab.

Sign a PDF

Got an email with a PDF that you need to sign and email back? Instead of printing the document, signing it, and then scanning it back before sending, you can insert an electronic signature to the PDF to sign it quickly.

You can also sign several pages or several places on a page. If you added a signature where you shouldn't have, you can delete signatures you just inserted. The saved signature remains intact. When you've saved the PDF, you can't delete the inserted signatures anymore.

Create and save your signature

When you create and save a signature, you can save it to sign other PDFs quickly. For instructions on how to use the saved signature, go to Sign a PDF with a saved signature.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. The focus moves to the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

  2. Swipe right until you hear "Actions," and then double-tap the screen. The Actions tab opens.

  3. You hear: "Sign a PDF." Double-tap the screen. The Choose files menu opens.

  4. Swipe right until you find the document you want, and then double-tap the screen. The PDF opens. If the document is not in the Choose files menu, swipe left until you reach the Browse button, and then double-tap the screen. Locate the file you want, and then double-tap the screen to select it.

  5. In the PDF, swipe right until you find the location where you want to insert your signature, and then double-tap the screen.

  6. You hear: "Landscape." The window for creating your signature opens. The screen rotates to the landscape mode. Hold your phone horizontally.

  7. To create a signature, swipe right until you hear "Please double-tap with single finger," and then double-tap and hold the screen with one finger. Without lifting the finger off the screen, slide it on the screen to create your signature.

  8. When you're done, lift your finger off the screen. You hear: "Done button." Double-tap the screen. The new signature is saved and inserted to the PDF. Hold your phone vertically.

  9. If you need to delete the signature you just inserted, swipe right until you hear "Undo," and then double-tap the screen.

  10. If you need to insert your signature elsewhere in the document, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. You hear: "Sign at other places." Double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right in the document until you find the location where you want to insert another signature, and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Insert saved signature." To insert the signature, double-tap the screen.

  11. You hear: "Done button." To exit the signature mode, double-tap the screen. You hear: "Back button." The PDF is displayed in the reading mode. To return to the Actions tab, double-tap the screen.

Sign a PDF with a saved signature

When you've created and saved your signature, you can insert subsequent signatures in no time.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. The focus moves to the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

  2. Swipe right until you hear "Actions," and then double-tap the screen. The Actions tab opens.

  3. You hear: "Sign a PDF." Double-tap the screen. The Choose files menu opens.

  4. Swipe right until you find the document you want, and then double-tap the screen. The PDF opens. If the document is not in the Choose files menu, swipe left until you reach the Browse button, and then double-tap the screen. Locate the file you want, and then double-tap the screen to select it.

  5. In the PDF, swipe right until you find the location where you want to insert your signature, and then double-tap the screen.

  6. You hear: "Insert saved signature." Double-tap the screen to insert your saved signature.

  7. If you need to insert your signature elsewhere in the document, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. You hear: "Sign at other places." Double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right in the document until you find the location where you want to add another signature, and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Insert saved signature." To add the signature, double-tap the screen.

  8. You hear: "Done button." To exit the signature mode, double-tap the screen. You hear: "Back button." The PDF is displayed in the reading mode. To return to the Actions tab, double-tap the screen.

Delete a saved signature

You can delete a saved signature and then create a new one. The signatures already inserted to a PDF won't be deleted.

  1. Open the PDF you want to sign as instructed in Sign a PDF with a saved signature.

  2. Double-tap anywhere in the PDF. You hear: "Insert saved signature."

  3. Swipe right until you hear "Delete saved signature," and then double-tap the screen.

  4. You're prompted to confirm the deletion. Swipe right until you hear "OK," and then double-tap the screen. You can now create a new signature as instructed in Create and save your signature.

  5. When you're ready, swipe left until you reach the Done button, and then double-tap the screen.

  6. You hear: "Done button." To exit the signature mode, double-tap the screen. You hear: "Back button." The PDF is displayed in the reading mode. To return to the Actions tab, double-tap the screen.

Scan a picture into a PDF

Use your phone camera to take a picture of a document and convert the picture into a PDF that you can share via email, for example. You can take several pictures and turn them all into one PDF. You can also use one or more pictures that you've saved earlier to Photos.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. The focus moves to the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

  2. Swipe right until you hear "Actions," and then double-tap the screen. The Actions tab opens.

  3. Swipe right until you hear "Scan to PDF," and then double-tap the screen. The camera mode activates. The focus is on the Capture button.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To take a picture of a document with your phone camera, double-tap the screen. You hear: "Crop screen." If you want to add more pictures, swipe right until you hear "Add button," double-tap the screen, and then repeat this step. If you don't want to add more pictures, swipe right until you hear "Next," and then double-tap the screen.

    • To convert saved pictures into a PDF, swipe right until you hear "Choose photo from library," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right or left until you locate the picture you want to use, and then double-tap the screen to select it. To add more pictures, repeat this step. When you've selected all the pictures you want, swipe right until you hear "Done button," and then double-tap the screen. The preview opens. Swipe right until you hear "Next," and then double-tap the screen.

  5. Tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. You hear: "Save button." Double-tap the screen. The PDF conversion starts.

  6. When the conversion is complete, the PDF opens. To exit the PDF, swipe left until you hear "Back button," and then double-tap the screen. The PDF is saved and the focus returns to the Actions tab.

Convert a selection of saved pictures into a PDF

Select saved pictures from the Photos app and convert them into a PDF.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. The focus moves to the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

  2. Swipe left or right until you hear "Actions," and then double-tap the screen. The Actions tab opens.

  3. Swipe left until you hear "Pictures to PDF," and then double-tap the screen. The Photos app opens.

  4. Swipe right or left until you find a picture you want to use, and then double-tap the screen to select it. If you want to convert other pictures into the same PDF, repeat this step.

  5. When you've selected all the pictures you want, swipe right until you hear "Done button," and then double-tap the screen. The preview opens.

  6. To start converting the images into a PDF, tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. You hear: "Save button." Double-tap the screen. The PDF conversion starts.

  7. When the conversion is complete, the PDF opens. To exit the PDF, swipe left until you hear "Back button," and then double-tap the screen. The PDF is saved and the focus returns to the Actions tab.

See also

Use a screen reader to work with files in the Microsoft 365 app

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate the Microsoft 365 app

Video: Introducing the Microsoft 365 App

Use the Microsoft 365 app with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to convert a document or picture into a PDF (Portable Document Format). You'll also learn how to sign a PDF.

Notes: 

  • New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

  • This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.

In this topic

Convert a document into a PDF

You can convert a document stored on your phone to a PDF that you can easily share with others.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, slide one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Apps, button," and then double-tap the screen. The apps menu opens.

  2. Swipe right or left until you hear "Document to PDF," and then double-tap the screen. The Choose files menu opens.

  3. Swipe right until you find the document you want, and then double-tap the screen. The conversion starts. If the document is not in the Choose files menu, swipe left or right until you hear "Browse, button," and then double-tap the screen. Locate the file you want, and then double-tap the screen to select it. When the conversion is complete, the PDF opens, and TalkBack starts to read the content of the document.

  4. To exit the PDF, swipe left until you hear "Back, button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Save."

  5. To save the PDF, double-tap the screen. The focus is in the file name text field. If you want to change the name of the PDF, double-tap the screen, and then use the on-screen keyboard to modify the file name. When you're done, swipe right until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

  6. Swipe left until you find the location where you want to save the PDF, and then double-tap the screen.

  7. Swipe right until you hear "Save, button," and then double-tap the screen. The PDF is saved and the focus returns to the Home tab.

Sign a PDF

Got an email with a PDF that you need to sign and email back? Instead of printing the document, signing it, and then scanning it back before sending, you can insert an electronic signature to the PDF to sign it quickly.

You can sign several pages or several places on a page. If you added a signature where you shouldn't have, you can delete signatures you just inserted. The saved signature remains intact. When you've saved the PDF, you can't delete the inserted signatures anymore.

You can also delete the saved signature and create a new one.

Create and save your signature

Create and save your signature to sign PDFs quickly. For instructions on how to use the saved signature, go to Sign a PDF with a saved signature.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, slide one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Apps, button," and then double-tap the screen. The apps menu opens.

  2. Swipe right or left until you hear "Sign a PDF," and then double-tap the screen. The Choose files menu opens.

  3. Swipe right until you find the document you want, and then double-tap the screen. The PDF opens. If the document is not in the Choose files menu, swipe left until you hear "Browse, button," and then double-tap the screen. Locate the file you want, and then double-tap the screen to select it.

  4. In the PDF, swipe right until you find the location where you want to insert your signature, and then tap the screen once with two fingers.

  5. The window for creating your signature opens. You hear: "Landscape." The screen rotates to the landscape mode. Hold your phone horizontally.

  6. To create a signature, swipe right until you hear "Please, sign here," and then double-tap and hold the screen with one finger. Without lifting the finger off the screen, slide it on the screen to create your signature.

  7. When you're done, lift your finger off the screen. To save the signature, swipe left until you hear "Save," and then double-tap the screen. The new signature is saved and inserted to the PDF. You hear: "Delete."

  8. The screen rotates to the portrait mode. Hold your phone vertically.

  9. If you need to delete the signature you just inserted, double-tap the screen. If you want to keep the signature, swipe down-then-left.

  10. To insert the new signature elsewhere or to additional places in the PDF, swipe right until you hear "Sign in additional places," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right in the document until you find the location where you want to add another signature. Tap the screen once with two fingers. The signature is inserted. Then repeat step 9.

  11. When you're done, swipe left until you hear: "Done, button." To exit the signature mode, double-tap the screen. The PDF is displayed in the reading mode. To return to the Home tab, swipe left until you hear "Back, button," and then double-tap the screen.

Sign a PDF with a saved signature

When you've created and saved your signature, you can insert subsequent signatures in no time.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, slide one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Apps, button," and then double-tap the screen. The apps menu opens.

  2. Swipe right or left until you hear "Sign a PDF," and then double-tap the screen. The Choose files menu opens.

  3. Swipe right until you find the document you want, and then double-tap the screen. The PDF opens. If the document is not in the Choose files menu, swipe right until you hear "Browse button," and then double-tap the screen. Locate the file you want, and then double-tap the screen to select it.

  4. In the PDF, swipe right until you find the location where you want to insert your signature, and then tap the screen once with two fingers. You hear: "Your signature, button." Double-tap the screen to insert your saved signature. You hear: "Delete."

  5. If you need to delete the signature you just inserted, double-tap the screen. If you want to keep the signature, swipe down-then-left.

  6. To insert your signature elsewhere or to additional places in the PDF, swipe right until you hear "Sign in additional places," double-tap the screen, and then repeat steps 4 and 5.

  7. When you're done, swipe left until you hear: "Done, button." To exit the signature mode, double-tap the screen. The PDF is displayed in the reading mode. To return to the Home tab, swipe left until you hear "Back, button," and then double-tap the screen.

Delete a saved signature

You can delete a saved signature and then create a new one. The signatures already inserted to a PDF won't be deleted.

  1. Open the PDF you want to sign as instructed in Sign a PDF with a saved signature.

  2. Tap the screen once with two fingers anywhere in the PDF. You hear: "Your signature, button."

  3. Swipe right until you hear "Delete," and then double-tap the screen.

  4. You're prompted to confirm the deletion. Swipe right until you hear "Yes," and then double-tap the screen.

  5. The window for creating your signature opens. You can now create a new signature as instructed in Create and save your signature.

Scan a picture into a PDF

Use your device camera to take a picture of a document and convert the picture into a PDF that you can share via email, for example. You can take several pictures and turn them all into one PDF. You can also use one or more pictures that you've saved earlier.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, slide one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Apps, button," and then double-tap the screen. The apps menu opens.

  2. Swipe right or left until you hear "Scan to PDF," and then double-tap the screen. The camera mode activates.

  3. Do one or more of the following:

    • To take a picture with your device camera, swipe right until you hear "Capture," and then double-tap the screen.

    • To select a saved picture, swipe right until you hear "Import, button," and then double-tap the screen. The app for your saved pictures opens. You might be prompted to allow the app to access your pictures. Navigate to the picture, and then double-tap the screen to select it.

  4. If you need to add other images to be converted into the same PDF, swipe right until you hear "Add, button," double-tap the screen, and then repeat step 3.

  5. You hear: "Back, button." If needed, you can now crop the picture to only show the content you want. To crop the picture, you need to turn off TalkBack, so you might need someone to help you with this step. To adjust the picture borders, pull the crop handles. When you're done, swipe right until you hear "Next, button," and then double-tap the screen.

  6. To start converting the images into a PDF, swipe right until you hear "Save," and then double-tap the screen. The Microsoft 365 app starts to process the images.

  7. When the conversion is complete, the PDF opens. To exit the PDF, swipe left until you hear "Back button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Save."

  8. To save the PDF, double-tap the screen. The focus is in the file name text field. If you want to change the name of the PDF, double-tap the screen, and then use the on-screen keyboard to modify the file name. When you're done, swipe right until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

  9. Swipe left until you find the location where you want to save the PDF, and then double-tap the screen.

  10. Swipe right until you hear "Save," and then double-tap the screen. The PDF is saved and the focus returns to the Home tab.

Convert a selection of saved pictures into a PDF

You can select pictures saved to an app such as Photos, Media, or Gallery depending on your device, and convert them into a PDF.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 app, slide one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Apps, button," and then double-tap the screen. The apps menu opens.

  2. Swipe right or left until you hear "Pictures to PDF," and then double-tap the screen. The app for your saved images opens. You might be prompted to allow the app to access your pictures.

  3. Swipe right until you find the picture you want, and then double-tap the screen to select it.

  4. To add other images to be converted into the same PDF, swipe right until you hear "Add, button," and then double-tap the screen. Repeat this step until you've selected all the images you want.

  5. When you're ready, swipe right until you hear "Save, button," and then double-tap the screen. The PDF conversion starts.

  6. When the conversion is complete, the PDF opens. To exit the PDF, swipe left until you hear "Back, button," and then double-tap the screen. You're prompted to decide what to do with the PDF. Swipe right until you hear "Save," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Save."

  7. To save the PDF, double-tap the screen. The focus is in the file name text field. If you want to change the name of the PDF, double-tap the screen and use the on-screen keyboard to modify the file name, swipe right until you hear "Done," and then double-tap the screen.

  8. Swipe left to find the location where you want to save the PDF, and then double-tap the screen.

  9. Swipe right until you hear "Save," and then double-tap the screen. The PDF is saved and the focus returns to the Home tab.

See also

Use a screen reader to work with files in the Microsoft 365 app

Use a screen reader to convert images into text in the Microsoft 365 app

Use a screen reader to convert images into tables in the Microsoft 365 app

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate the Microsoft 365 app

Video: Introducing the Microsoft 365 App

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

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