# Can highlight PDF's on iOS but not MacOS

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/can-highlight-pdfs-on-ios-but-not-macos/58680>\
**Category:** DEVONthink\
**Created:** [October 3, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/can-highlight-pdfs-on-ios-but-not-macos/58680 "2020-10-03T15:43:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![obbiie](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/o/5e9695/32.png) [@obbiie](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/obbiie)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/can-highlight-pdfs-on-ios-but-not-macos/58680/1 "2020-10-03T15:43:59Z")

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I’m using DTTG on iPad pro and DT3 Pro on macOS and am trying to review and highlight a set of PDF articles I have downloaded from my Harvard Business Review account.

These PDF’s cannot be highlighted on DT3 mac (unless I OCR them) and I assumed this was a limitation of the publisher but if I download the same PDF on the iPad (and then share it with DTTG) I can highlight and add notes to it. These highlights sync back to DT3 but I still cannot add more on the Mac.

It only seems to be with this set of HBR PDF’s so far, other PDF’s work on both platforms. Is this expected behaviour or some kind of MacOS limitation with certain types of PDF?

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/can-highlight-pdfs-on-ios-but-not-macos/58680/2 "2020-10-03T18:42:27Z")

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Welcome @obbiie

This is not possible to assess without more information. Hold the **Option key** and choose **Help \> Report bug** to start a support ticket. Please attach a screen capture of DEVONthink with a PDF selected. Also, if you could ZIP and attach a PDF to examine, that could be helpful too. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![obbiie](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/o/5e9695/32.png) [@obbiie](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/obbiie)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 7:15pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/can-highlight-pdfs-on-ios-but-not-macos/58680/3 "2020-10-03T19:15:39Z")

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Thanks @BLUEFROG I’ve sent all of that over.

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**Author:** ![korm](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@korm](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/korm)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/can-highlight-pdfs-on-ios-but-not-macos/58680/4 "2020-10-03T19:32:49Z")

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So I downloaded just now a PDF from Harvard Business Review. I confirm I cannot annotate the PDF in DEVONthink 3.5.1 on macOS 10.15.7. I can however annotate it by opening from DEVONthink to PDF Reader.

Locked in DEVONthink

![Screenshot of DEVONthink 3 (10-3-20, 3-29-28 PM)](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/c/9/c974edb286a7a573d423999a1d7288ad50506b26.png)

PDF is password protected per Finder Get Info

 ![2020-10-03_15-26-35](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/0/9/09bd10b1dcc9b0ac93adad29485c5fc5fadd4869.png)

Since annotation is available outside of DEVONthink I assume DEVONthink is interpreting the security setting for the HBR PDF very strictly; more strictly than, say, PDF Reader.

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:12pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/can-highlight-pdfs-on-ios-but-not-macos/58680/5 "2020-10-03T22:12:08Z")

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That is correct. PDFKit honors the permissions.