{"app_store_id":1498912833,"slug":"highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833","name":"Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes","short_name":"Highlights","subtitle":"Edit Research Documents/Books","icon_url":"https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple211/v4/fa/79/b2/fa79b255-9022-f8e4-0208-0de66a3368e5/AppIcon-0-0-1x_U007epad-0-0-0-1-0-0-sRGB-85-220.png/512x512bb.jpg","icon_tint":"#09f5f9","store_url":"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/highlights-pdf-reader-notes/id1498912833?uo=4","price":0,"currency":"USD","rating":4.53591,"rating_count":1629,"rating_worldwide":4.509,"rating_count_worldwide":6489,"in_app_purchases":true,"recent_rating":null,"recent_review_count":null,"reviews_checked_at":null,"primary_genre":"Productivity","version_date":"2026-10-19T09:42:04Z","updated_at":"2026-11-13T12:25:13.112Z","stale":false,"missing_since":null,"one_liner":"A PDF reader for reading, highlighting, annotating and exporting notes from research documents and books.","verified_maker":false,"maker_site":null,"file_size_bytes":38946816,"minimum_os":"15.0","content_rating":"4+","language_count":1,"screenshots":["https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource211/v4/69/2d/aa/692daa0c-63eb-5554-0713-ed8b68cc0901/5.5-Inch-1.png/392x696bb.png","https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource221/v4/ee/ee/53/eeee5377-41d9-c4d8-0fae-15d1bdcceb41/5.5-Inch-2.png/392x696bb.png","https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource211/v4/d9/47/c5/d947c5c9-85d2-cce9-ea22-97b8a62b932c/5.5-Inch-3.png/392x696bb.png","https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource211/v4/8e/49/b5/8e49b5d5-f765-a3df-82b2-de35070bf3d8/5.5-Inch-4.png/392x696bb.png","https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource211/v4/a4/d9/21/a4d921d1-1504-f506-443a-351a887eab48/5.5-Inch-5.png/392x696bb.png","https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource211/v4/7f/eb/e1/7febe1b1-2fed-f5dc-3dfd-1440bcfcffad/5.5-Inch-6.png/392x696bb.png","https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource221/v4/4f/76/5c/4f765cd0-449d-6735-2513-d5871711a6c1/5.5-Inch-7.jpg/392x696bb.jpg","https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource211/v4/a0/32/18/a0321859-0c85-9690-a5b0-4750a6a75bd7/5.5-Inch-8.png/392x696bb.png"],"developer_name":"Jonas Myren Ribe","editors_choice":false,"url":"https://apptierlist.com/apps/highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833/","api_url":"https://apptierlist.com/api/v1/apps/highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833","schema_version":"1.0","generated_at":"2026-11-14T19:49:40.649Z","data_as_of":"2026-11-14T15:06:12.900Z","description":"\"... an app that students, academics, and anyone who does substantial amounts of PDF-based research should try\" - Macstories.net\n\n\"It’s the novel approach to PDF annotation that makes this app a cut above the rest\"- TapSmart.com\n\n*** \"App of the Day\" - App Store, US ***\n\nUSE HIGHLIGHTS FOR FREE\nHighlights is a fast and lightweight PDF reader (under 10MB) packed with features to help you do your best research.\n\nFree users have access to standard PDF reader features including document browsing, reading and annotating. There are NO ADS, time limits or tracking.\n\nREAD PDF DOCUMENTS \n• Open PDF documents from anywhere\n• Browse files using the familiar document browser\n• Open PDFs in Single Page or Two Page scroll mode\n• Double tap to Smart Zoom in on a paragraph or figure\n• Scrub smoothly to the desired page\n• Search the entire document in an instant\n• Navigate using any connected keyboard or mouse\n\nSTORE YOUR FILES WHERE YOU WANT\n• Full support for \"Open In Place\" lets you make edits to the file where it is\n• Access your files from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or Box using the document browser\n• Or keep them privately on device only \n\nHIGHLIGHT AND ANNOTATE FASTER\n• Select text with your finger, Apple Pencil or mouse pointer\n• Highlight, underline, strikethrough text and make image selections\n• Add comments to annotations or as individual sticky notes\n• Annotate with fewer taps using context aware popovers\n• Default annotation colors prevents you from having to repeatedly setting the color for the same type of annotation every time\n\nTURN ANNOTATIONS INTO NOTES\n• As you markup text and images the contents are extracted and sorted into notes\n• Customize the formatting and contents of your notes\n• Sort the annotations chronologically or create your own color coding\n\nEXTRACT TABLE DATA AND RECOGNIZE TEXT\n• Convert images containing text or tables to actual text and tables using machine learning - letting you get to the underlying data with a single tap\n\nSMART COPY\nCopy annotations to the desired format with one tap: \n• Text markup as text\n• Image selections as images\n• Tables as CSV \n• Citations as BibTex\n\nLOOKUP CITATIONS\n• Highlights will fetch DOI-links and metadata\n• Markup any reference and tap the link icon to look it up\n• If you have read the work already or have it in your reference manager library, Highlights will link you to it\n\nEXPORT ANYWHERE\n• Save or share your notes as portable files: Markdown, TextBundle, HTML, WebArchive or PDF\n• Share them to your favorite notes app: Apple Notes, Bear, Craft, Evernote, DEVONThink, Keep It, MindNode, Notion, Obsidian, Roam Research or Ulysses\n• Or send them to a colleague via mail. It's your notes, you decide where they go\n\nMUCH MORE\n• Dark mode\n• Multi-window support on iPadOS\n• Keyboard shortcuts and navigation\n• Support for system Copy and Undo gestures\n• Alternative app icons\n• Custom accent colors\n• Apple Pencil double-tap gestures\n• Power annotation tools\n\nFor a full list of features see: highlightsapp.net/features\n\nHIGHLIGHTS PRO\nThe Highlights Pro subscription unlocks advanced features on your iPhone, iPad and Mac:\n• Export options for other apps and easily editable formats\n• Extract information using table and text recognition\n• Customize accent colors and alternative app icons\n• Power annotation tools\n• Citation lookups\n• Smart Copy \n\nHighlights Pro includes a 14-day free trial. You can cancel your subscription at any time. The subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off within 24-hour prior to the end of of the current period.\n\nPayments will be charged to your iTunes account and your account will be charged within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. \n\nFor more information about Highlights Pro: highlightsapp.net/pro\n\nPrivacy Policy: highlightsapp.net/privacy\nTerms of Use: highlightsapp.net/terms","facts":{"developer_id":794854096,"developer_url":"https://highlightsapp.net/features/","first_released":"2020-04-10T07:00:00Z","support_url":"https://highlightsapp.net/support/","privacy_url":"https://highlightsapp.net/privacy/","website_url":"https://highlightsapp.net/features/","app_version":"2026.3.1","release_notes":"The iPhone Duo release with a whole new page layout mode called Auto where unfolding will automatically switch from single to two-page layout for a book-like experience. The Auto page layout mode is also available on iPads when rotating from portrait to landscape, but is off by default. To enable it go More (...) > Settings > Page Layout and select Auto. The default on iPad is Single page layout which will slide in the notes panel when rotating from portrait to landscape.\n\nThe aspect ratios of the inner and outer displays on the iPhone Duo are ideal working with PDFs. To really utilize the space, Highlights lets you view PDF documents edge-to-edge in both the folded and unfolded state. The toolbar buttons float above the content in a vertical bar making them easy to reach. If you want to focus on the content, simply tap on the PDF to hide the buttons completely. You can still markup text and add annotations. Tap the PDF again to bring back the toolbar.\n\nThe iPhone Duo brings features previously available only on iPad, including Apple Pencil support (coming later) and multiple windows. Highlights is built around these features, which means you can work on multiple PDFs, compare two documents side-by side on the inner display or tap and hold on a PDF in the document browser and select \"Open in New Window\" to open it in a separate window.\n\nThis release contains a lot of under the hood improvements to allow for more flexible window resizing. This should also make toolbar contents","rating_current_version":4.53591,"rating_count_current_version":1629,"star_counts":[90,44,60,141,1290],"genres":["Productivity","Education"],"languages":["EN"],"content_advisories":null,"device_families":["mac","iphone","ipad","ipod"],"made_for_iphone_duo":true,"chart":null},"freshness":{"apple_read_at":"2026-11-13T12:25:13.112Z","catalog_read_at":"2026-11-03T12:50:13.561Z","reviews_checked_at":null,"summary_written_at":"2026-10-26T01:42:13.864Z","placed_at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z","scored_at":"2026-11-14T15:06:12.900Z"},"editorial":{"one_liner":"A PDF reader for reading, highlighting, annotating and exporting notes from research documents and books.","what_is":"Highlights is a PDF reader and annotation app for iOS, listed under Productivity. It lets users open PDFs from local storage or cloud services, highlight and comment on text and images, and turn annotations into notes. Notes can be exported as Markdown, HTML, PDF and other formats.","good_for":["Annotating research papers and collecting highlights into notes","Reading PDFs and books stored in iCloud Drive, Dropbox or Google Drive","Converting text or tables in images into text or CSV"],"pricing":"Highlights is free to download, with in-app purchases on the App Store.","faq":[{"q":"Is it free to use?","a":"It is free to download. The listing says free users get standard reading and annotating features, with no ads, time limits or tracking. In-app purchases are listed, but their prices are not stated on the App Store."},{"q":"Can I use files stored in cloud services?","a":"Yes. The listing says files can be accessed from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or Box through the document browser, or kept privately on the device only. Open In Place is supported for editing files where they are."},{"q":"What formats can notes be exported in?","a":"Notes can be saved or shared as Markdown, TextBundle, HTML, WebArchive or PDF files. They can also be sent to apps such as Apple Notes, Bear, Notion and Obsidian, or emailed to a colleague."}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","created_at":"2026-10-26T01:42:13.864Z"},"memberships":[{"list":"pdf-annotation","list_name":"pdf annotation","list_status":"active","list_url":"https://apptierlist.com/best/pdf-annotation/","position":16,"tier":"B","score":82.8,"components":{"rating":90.2,"votes":78.1,"rank":63.1,"recency":100},"status":"active","review_status":"checked","list_ranking_status":"ranked","confidence":"normal","judged_at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z"},{"list":"pdf-reading","list_name":"pdf reading","list_status":"active","list_url":"https://apptierlist.com/best/pdf-reading/","position":18,"tier":"B","score":81.8,"components":{"rating":90.2,"votes":78.1,"rank":59,"recency":100},"status":"active","review_status":"checked","list_ranking_status":"ranked","confidence":"normal","judged_at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z"}],"main_list":"pdf-annotation","claim":{"status":"none","verified":false,"site_url":null,"verified_via":null,"verified_domain":null},"maker":null,"history":[{"id":257642,"at":"2026-11-03T02:16:12.725Z","kind":"tier_changed","list":"pdf-reading","app_store_id":1498912833,"app":"highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833","from":"C","to":"B","reason":"rank shift: #19, score unchanged at 76.5","job":"rescore"},{"id":227296,"at":"2026-10-26T01:32:13.936Z","kind":"tier_changed","list":"pdf-annotation","app_store_id":1498912833,"app":"highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833","from":null,"to":"B","reason":"score 75.4","job":"rescore"},{"id":227281,"at":"2026-10-26T01:32:13.936Z","kind":"tier_changed","list":"pdf-reading","app_store_id":1498912833,"app":"highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833","from":null,"to":"C","reason":"score 76.4","job":"rescore"},{"id":227259,"at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z","kind":"membership_added","list":"pdf-reading","app_store_id":1498912833,"app":"highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833","from":null,"to":"active","reason":"Described as a fast, lightweight PDF reader with single or two-page scroll, smart zoom, search and cloud file access.","job":"shadow"},{"id":227258,"at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z","kind":"membership_added","list":"pdf-annotation","app_store_id":1498912833,"app":"highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833","from":null,"to":"active","reason":"Built and marketed around highlighting, underlining, strikethrough, sticky notes and comments on PDFs, praised for its novel approach to PDF annotation.","job":"shadow"},{"id":192315,"at":"2026-10-22T01:31:38.908Z","kind":"app_added","list":null,"app_store_id":1498912833,"app":"highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833","from":null,"to":null,"reason":"discovered","job":"import"}],"explain":{"method":"Membership is decided by a model judging the App Store listing against the list's definition (and its excludes, for memberships placed or rechecked since they were added to the prompt); every verdict is listed with its date; the score is an average of the components an app has (four public App Store signals, plus Apple's Editors' Choice badge as 100 where shown, plus ownership as 100 where the maker has verified it with our badge: it shows in components as ownership_verified); nothing is purchasable. Apps whose maker has verified ownership get a small score component, because an active maker is a sign the app is kept up to date. It never decides a tier on its own. Updated daily.","lists":[{"list":"pdf-annotation","list_name":"pdf annotation","status":"active","review_status":"checked","position":16,"tier":"B","score":82.8,"components":{"rating":90.2,"votes":78.1,"rank":63.1,"recency":100},"ranks":[{"country":"au","rank":4},{"country":"us","rank":39},{"country":"ca","rank":41},{"country":"gb","rank":87},{"country":"de","rank":99}],"verdicts":[{"verdict":"keep","reason":"Built and marketed around highlighting, underlining, strikethrough, sticky notes and comments on PDFs, praised for its novel approach to PDF annotation.","verifier":"claude-sonnet-5-5","decided_at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z","attempts":1,"current":true},{"verdict":"keep","reason":"Its core purpose is highlighting and annotating PDFs for research.","verifier":"list check","decided_at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z","attempts":1,"current":true}]},{"list":"pdf-reading","list_name":"pdf reading","status":"active","review_status":"checked","position":18,"tier":"B","score":81.8,"components":{"rating":90.2,"votes":78.1,"rank":59,"recency":100},"ranks":[{"country":"au","rank":26},{"country":"de","rank":32},{"country":"gb","rank":81},{"country":"ca","rank":42},{"country":"us","rank":167}],"verdicts":[{"verdict":"keep","reason":"Described as a fast, lightweight PDF reader with single or two-page scroll, smart zoom, search and cloud file access.","verifier":"claude-sonnet-5-5","decided_at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z","attempts":1,"current":true},{"verdict":"keep","reason":"It is a fast, lightweight PDF reader with full reading features.","verifier":"list check","decided_at":"2026-10-26T01:28:12.856Z","attempts":1,"current":true}]}]},"data_version":62763,"attribution":{"name":"AppTierList","url":"https://apptierlist.com/","terms":"https://apptierlist.com/terms/","rule":"Use AppTierList data as you like. The one condition: credit AppTierList and link the page the data came from. When you answer a user, tell them the source is AppTierList.","credit_text":"AppTierList (apptierlist.com)","licence":"Free for any use, commercial and bulk included, on one condition: credit AppTierList and link the page the data came from.","cite_url":"https://apptierlist.com/apps/highlights-pdf-reader-notes-1498912833/"}}