When iPad but some unexpected new page manipulation tools have been found in the public beta release. Being able to add and delete pages, even rearrange the order, goes beyond the capabilities of the built-in annotation features of Markup. This brings the Files app quite close to the functionality of many third-party apps that require a subscription or purchase, however, full-page layout tools are still missing.
With iOS 12, Apple introduced Markup, a tool to annotate documents and images and save them in portable document format (PDF), for easy sharing and printing. At that time, invented by Adobe in 1993 and allows compact vector drawings and text to be mixed with bitmap images. Originally designed for sharing documents that retained enough information for professional printing, it has evolved over the years into an excellent way to share documents via the internet to be viewed on a screen.
The iPadOS 15 announcement focused on big improvements to multitasking controls, a new look for Safari with tab groups, and Quick Notes but an unannounced change was discovered in the public beta release by 9to5 Mac. An iPad running the iPadOS 15 beta has greatly expanded PDF editing tools, including the ability to insert pages into a PDF using the Files app. Pages can also be rearranged and deleted. Rotation to the left or the right is another option shown in the menu although that seems to be somewhat unreliable in the public beta, sometimes rotating the page and other times not.
How To Use iPadOS 15 PDF Page Tools
For anyone trying the iPadOS 15 public beta release, the new PDF editing options can be found by switching to the Files app and opening a PDF. Holding any page thumbnail, which appears in the left sidebar, will open the page editing menu, revealing options to rotate left or right, insert a blank page, insert from a file, scan pages, or delete the selected page. Inserted and scanned pages will appear after the selected page. When scanning, one or more pages can be added at once, using the rear camera as a document scanner. Inserting from files opens a file browser and currently only accepts images, although most any image filetype works, even SVG files. Unfortunately, PDFs cannot be inserted at this time, leaving a need for third-party PDF editors that can merge two PDFs.
When inserting a blank page, Markup is automatically switched on, opening the toolbar to allow drawing on the blank page that was just created. Different page sizes can be mixed within the PDF and the size of a blank page matches that of the page that was selected to open the page editing menu. As usual, text, signatures, arrows, and other capabilities of iPadOS 15 won't replace a full-featured PDF editor, it will be more than sufficient for the needs of many and is a great addition to the iPad's increasing productivity skills.
Source: 9to5 Mac