Most information, nowadays, is available in PDF format. The reason could be the security and integrity that this file format gives to the data. Whether you are downloading your bank account statement, academic transcripts, an online book, or a user manual for a product, you will get it as a PDF.
After reviewing them, you sometimes need to delete the complete file or a single PDF page. But you don’t know how to do it on your iPhone or Android phone. If this is the case, read this article to learn how to delete PDF files on iPhone and Android phones.
Delete PDF Files on the Phone
Erasing an entire PDF from your phone is easy. You need to locate the PDF on your phone to delete it. Usually, you will find the PDF in the Files folder. Scroll down to find the file and click on the three-dot icon displayed with each file.
On clicking the three-dot icon, you will get to see multiple options, Select Move to the bin, and the selected file will be removed from the Files. Since the file remains on the phone and consumes space, you cannot claim gigabytes of hard drive space if you don’t empty the trash or recycle bin.
So, go to the recycle bin or trash and delete the file to erase it from the phone. In case you do not want to delete the entire PDF but need to remove several pages to free up space, move on to the next step.
Delete Pages from the PDF
If you wish to edit a file and are thinking about how to redact a PDF on a phone or tablet, try Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can even remove unnecessary pages from PDFs using the software. It is an all-purpose PDF tool that allows you to edit, annotate, or enhance PDF files on phones, computers, and tablets.
To remove PDF pages on iPhone, open Adobe Acrobat and navigate to the page that allows you to delete PDFs. Click on the Select a file button and pick the PDF file. After the file uploads, sign in to Adobe, Google, or Apple to proceed further.
The thumbnails of all the pages will appear in the sidebar. Tap on the thumbnail and then click the trash icon to remove that page from the PDF file. To delete multiple pages from PDF, tap on their thumbnails and click the trash button. It will remove all the pages at once. That’s all about how to delete PDF files on iPhone or Android.
Let’s move on to other important things that you must keep in mind while deleting PDFs.
Things You Need to Consider While Deleting Files
Before you delete a file from your phone, make sure you have a backup. Accidental deletion of files is a common issue, and backup is the solution to all data loss problems. When it comes to backup, you have two potential options to consider. Either move your data to external storage media or back it up to a Cloud drive.
If you wish to move data to Cloud, go for the free-tier services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud, based on the phone you have. All-time accessibility is one of the best advantages of saving data over the Cloud. If you opt to save your files on an external SSD, make sure to buy one that is compatible with different platforms.
Finding Difficulty Deleting PDF Files?
Usually, people do not experience any issues while deleting files from their phones or tablets. However, in rare cases, it is difficult to move files from their original location, and it’s more than annoying as the storage starts to shrink. Well, if you find any kind of difficulty in removing PDF files from your phone, here’s what you need to know.
- File is Corrupt
More often, the reason behind the stiff nature of a file is corrupted. If the file is damaged, you won’t be able to move it. In that case, the only option is to find a data recovery tool that can help recover the contents of the file.
In that case, you may also need to install a professional file deletion app so that you can remove all the associated contents from the phone.
- File is Malware Infected
Sometimes, users are unable to locate a file on their phones. Either the file has turned inaccessible or was deleted accidentally.
Malware or virus infection might be responsible for the inaccessibility of files on phones and other digital devices. To get rid of the virus, download an antivirus program and scan your computer to detect the virus. When found, delete the file right away.
- File is Password Protected
When you are not able to delete a PDF on your iPhone or Android, the reason might be password protection or file permissions. In that case, you need to check if the file has a password and remove it before trying to delete it from the phone.
If the file permissions are preventing you from deleting it or removing pages from the PDF, tweak them and then retry.
