Searchable and password PDFs

A plain PDF is a picture of each page. A searchable PDF also carries the text, so it can be selected, copied and searched. A password PDF can’t be opened without the password you choose. Both are part of Pro, and both are made on your iPhone.

What it is

Both are options of the PDF in the Share sheet:

Searchable PDF: the text Paperwise recognised on your iPhone is placed invisibly behind each page image. The PDF looks the same, but you can select words, copy them and search the file in any PDF reader.
Password PDF: the PDF is protected by a password. Whoever opens it, in any PDF app, has to type it first.

You can combine them: a password PDF is searchable too when Searchable is on.

When to use it

Searchable PDF

You send documents to someone who will search them, such as an accountant or a lawyer.
You keep copies in another app and want to find them by their words.
Someone needs to copy a reference number out of the PDF.

Password PDF

You send an ID, a payslip or a medical report by email.
The file will sit in a shared folder or an inbox you don’t control.

Step by step

Send a searchable PDF

Open the document and tap Share.
Tap Searchable PDF. (With Pro it’s already picked when the sheet opens.)
Choose a page size and a quality (High, Balanced or Small) if you like.
Tap Share PDF and pick where to send it.

You can also tap PDF and turn on the Searchable switch (“Text can be selected and searched.”).

Send a password PDF

Open the document and tap Share.
Tap Password PDF. The Password switch under Protect turns on.
Type a password (at least 4 characters) in Password, then again in Confirm password.
Tap Share PDF and pick where to send it.
Send the password to the other person separately, for example by phone or in a different app.

You can also tap PDF and turn on Password under Protect (“Needed to open the PDF.”).

Free and Pro

	Free	Pro
Plain PDF	Yes	Yes
Searchable PDF	No	Yes
Password PDF	No	Yes
Page size, quality, page numbers, watermark	Yes	Yes

On Free, the Searchable PDF and Password PDF chips and the Searchable and Password switches carry a Pro label; tapping them shows what Pro includes. Prices are on the pricing page.

Privacy

Both kinds of PDF are made on your iPhone, from text recognised on your iPhone. Nothing is sent to our server.
Paperwise doesn’t keep the password. It isn’t saved with the document, and we never receive it.
A password PDF protects the file you send. The document in your vault isn’t changed: it stays encrypted by Paperwise with its own key, kept on this iPhone only, and Face ID guards the app when the app lock is on.
A password PDF is only as strong as its password. Use a long one, and never send it in the same email as the file.

Tips

If the text in a searchable PDF looks wrong when you copy it, check the Text view of the document first: the PDF uses the same text. See Pages and Text.
A watermark (“Copy”, “Confidential”) and a password together make a good pair for ID copies.
For a one-off look at a document, a share link with a password and a short expiry can be a better fit than a PDF that lives forever in someone’s inbox. See Create a share link.

What if…

What if I see “Use at least 4 characters.” or “Passwords don’t match.”?

The Share PDF button waits until the password is at least 4 characters and both fields match.

What if the person can’t open the password PDF?

Check they’re typing the password exactly, with the same capitals. Most PDF apps (Preview, Adobe Acrobat, browsers) ask for the password when the file opens.

What if I forget the password?

Paperwise doesn’t keep it, so that PDF can’t be opened. Your document is still in your vault: make a new PDF with a new password.

What if a searchable PDF finds nothing when I search it?

The page may have no recognised text (for example a photo, or handwriting). With Pro and the AI helper on, try Ask → Read handwriting, then share again.