Document Redactor

Support

Document Redactor helps you redact PDFs on your iPhone or iPad. The workflow is simple: choose a PDF, mark sensitive content, create a redacted copy, review the local redaction check, then share or save the exported PDF.

Access

Your first redacted PDF is free. To create more redacted PDFs, subscribe to Annual Access, an auto-renewable subscription for US $8.99 per year or the equivalent shown in your local currency on the App Store.

Supported file type

PDF documents — .pdf

How export works

The exported PDF is rebuilt from page images, with black redaction bars burned into those images, so the original text layer is not preserved under a black box.

How to use it

Tap Choose PDF to import your file.
Use Highlight Text for selectable text by dragging across a word, line, sentence, or paragraph.
Use Straight Line to create a level horizontal redaction bar across a sentence or row.
Use Draw Box for anything text selection cannot catch, including scanned text, signatures, account numbers, headers, footers, logos, images, or faces.
Tap Review to confirm the number of marks.
Tap Create Redacted Copy.
Share only if the Redaction Check passes and you have reviewed the visible output.

What it does not do

It does not upload files to a server.
It does not use AI to decide what is sensitive.
It does not provide legal or compliance advice.
It does not preserve text searchability in the exported PDF; this is intentional for safety.
It does not automatically OCR scanned PDFs in this version.

Annual Access

Your first redacted PDF is free.
Annual Access unlocks unlimited PDF redaction while your subscription is active.
Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase.
The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
You can manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings: Settings → your name → Subscriptions.
Use Restore Purchases in the app if you already subscribed with the same Apple Account.
Refund requests are handled by Apple through Apple’s App Store refund process.

Scanned or image-only PDFs

If a PDF is scanned or image-only, text highlighting may not work because there is no selectable text layer. Use Draw Box mode and cover every visible area that should disappear.

Common issues

Text highlighting does not select anything

The PDF may be scanned, image-only, flattened, or built without a selectable text layer. If text cannot be captured, the dragged area can still be marked as an area redaction. Use Draw Box mode for more precise coverage.

The file browser is empty in Simulator

The iOS Simulator may not have any PDFs in Files. Add a PDF to the Simulator’s Files app or test on a device that already has a PDF available.

The exported file is not searchable

That is expected. For the first version, Document Redactor chooses safety over preserving the text layer. The exported PDF is image-only so hidden text is not left underneath redaction bars.

The exported file is larger than the original

Image-only redacted PDFs can be larger than the source PDF. This is a tradeoff of the safer export method.

Redaction Check failed

Do not share the file. Create a new redacted copy, check that every sensitive area is covered, and try again. If the check keeps failing, contact support.

Text was still visible after export

The app can only remove areas you marked. Return to the editor, add a Draw Box over anything that remains visible, then create a new redacted copy.

I already subscribed

Open the subscription screen and tap Restore Purchases. Make sure you are signed in with the Apple Account that made the purchase.

I want to cancel

Manage or cancel through Apple: open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, then select Document Redactor. Canceling stops future renewal; Apple handles refund eligibility.

Contact

Need help or want to report an issue? Email dean@myworkingmemory.ai. Include your device model, iOS version, what you expected to happen, and whether the PDF had selectable text. Please do not send sensitive or unredacted documents by email.