Do you need an app to sign a PDF on Android?
No. Modern Android browsers — particularly Chrome, which comes pre-installed on most Android devices — are capable of running the full Signvert signing tool without any app installation. The signing canvas, PDF rendering, and file download all work natively in the browser. You do not need to install Adobe Acrobat, DocuSign, or any other app to sign PDF on Android free.
This is useful for several reasons. App installations take time, use storage, and often require account creation. If you receive a PDF by email and need to sign it quickly, opening a browser tab is faster than installing an app. It also means the tool works on any Android device — phones, tablets, Chromebooks — regardless of what apps are installed.
Step-by-step: signing a PDF on Android using Signvert
- Open Chrome on your Android device and navigate to signvert.com.
- Tap the upload area or the "Choose file" button. Chrome will open your device's file picker — navigate to the PDF in your Downloads folder, Google Drive, or wherever it is saved.
- Wait for the PDF to load. The first page will appear in the signing viewer. Swipe left or right to navigate between pages if the document has multiple pages.
- Tap "Add Signature". A panel will slide up from the bottom of the screen with three tabs: Draw, Type, and Upload.
- Draw your signature using your finger on the canvas. Take your time — the canvas does not time out, and you can tap "Clear" to start again as many times as needed.
- Tap "Add to document". Your signature will appear on the page as a draggable element.
- Drag the signature to the correct position on the document. Use a pinch gesture to resize it.
- Tap "Download signed PDF". The file will save to your Android Downloads folder and can be opened, shared, or emailed from there.
How to draw your signature on a touchscreen
Drawing a natural-looking signature with a finger takes a little practice. A few tips that help:
Rotate your phone to landscape orientation before opening the signature canvas — the wider canvas gives you more horizontal space to work with, which makes signatures look more natural. Write slowly and deliberately rather than quickly; the canvas captures every movement, and a slow careful signature often looks better than a rushed one.
If your signature is very small or cramped, try writing larger than you normally would — you can always scale it down when placing it on the document. If you have a stylus, use it; even a basic capacitive stylus produces a noticeably cleaner line than a fingertip.
Once you are happy with your signature, consider saving it as a PNG image (tap "Download signature image" if the option is available) so you can upload it next time instead of redrawing it.
Downloading and sharing your signed PDF on Android
When you tap "Download signed PDF", Chrome will save the file to your device's Downloads folder. You can access it by opening the Files app (or My Files on Samsung devices) and navigating to Downloads. From there you can open it in any PDF viewer, share it via WhatsApp, email it as an attachment, or upload it to Google Drive.
If you received the original PDF by email and need to send the signed version back, the quickest workflow is: download the signed PDF, open your email app, compose a reply, and attach the file from your Downloads folder.
Is a mobile e-signature legally valid?
For the vast majority of everyday documents — tenancy agreements, freelance contracts, HR forms, consent forms, school letters, and similar — a drawn signature placed on a PDF is legally valid in most jurisdictions. The UK's Electronic Communications Act 2000, the EU's eIDAS regulation, and the US ESIGN Act all recognise electronic signatures for most commercial and personal transactions.
The key requirement is that the signature must be attributable to the person signing — meaning there should be some reasonable way to connect the signature to you. For most everyday documents, this is satisfied by the fact that you received the document, signed it, and returned it from your own device and email address.
For formal legal instruments — wills, property transfers, court documents, powers of attorney — requirements vary by jurisdiction and often require a witnessed wet signature. If you are unsure whether an electronic signature is sufficient for a specific document, check with the receiving party or a solicitor.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work on Samsung phones?
Yes. Signvert works in any modern Android browser, including Samsung Internet (the default browser on Samsung devices) and Chrome. The signing canvas and PDF tools have been tested on Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. If you experience any issues with Samsung Internet, try opening the page in Chrome instead.
Does it work offline?
Once the Signvert page has loaded in your browser, the signing tool will continue to work even if your internet connection drops, because all processing happens locally on your device. However, you need an active connection to load the page initially. If you know you will need to sign a document without internet access, load the page while you still have a connection.
Is it free on mobile?
Yes, completely free. There is no mobile-specific pricing, no premium tier, and no account required. The full signing tool and all PDF utilities work identically on mobile browsers as on desktop.