GoKawiilReaddle brings searchable handwriting recognition to PDF Expert on iOS 27
Readdle has updated PDF Expert to take advantage of new iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 capabilities, most notably a Handwriting Recognition feature that indexes handwritten notes as searchable text across a user's entire document library. The update, built on Apple's PKStrokeRecognizer API, supports 29 languages and also adds Apple Pencil Pro squeeze-gesture support for opening the app's tool palette, along with an expanded Liquid Glass visual redesign.
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By tapping directly into Apple's new stroke-recognition API, Readdle avoids building its own handwriting engine while instantly matching Apple's language coverage, a shortcut smaller developers increasingly rely on as Apple exposes more system-level intelligence features. Gating full search behind PDF Expert Premium also shows how quickly new OS-level capabilities get positioned as subscription upsells rather than free improvements.
- Handwriting Recognition indexes notes as searchable text across a user's whole PDF Expert library, not just single documents.
- The feature relies on Apple's PKStrokeRecognizer API and supports 29 languages, with full search limited to Premium subscribers.
- The update also adds Apple Pencil Pro squeeze-gesture support and extends Liquid Glass styling throughout the app's interface.
Apple Pencil Pro — With PDF Expert's new handwriting recognition making handwritten notes searchable across your library, an Apple Pencil Pro is the perfect companion for jotting down annotations directly on your PDFs. Its precision tip makes handwriting more natural and legible, which pairs nicely with the new recognition engine indexing your notes. Great for students and professionals who want to mark up documents quickly and find them later just by searching.
See Apple Pencil Pro on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: 9to5mac.com — Marcus Mendes, 2026-09-17
Published there as: “PDF Expert update adds handwriting recognition, expands Apple Pencil support, more”
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