ProperPDF does all PDF work on your phone or tablet: merging, splitting, compressing, signing, filling, locking, scanning and converting. Your documents never go to a ProperPDF server, because there isn't one that receives files. The app does use the internet for a few things that don't involve your documents: purchases, anonymous usage statistics, crash reports, notifications and a one-time AI model download.
What happens on your phone
On iPhone and iPad, ProperPDF uses Apple's own PDF and camera frameworks. On Android, it uses the open-source PDFBox library and Google's on-device document scanner. Files you create are saved in ProperPDF's library on the device and leave it only when you share them.
Because nothing is uploaded, every PDF tool works in airplane mode, and a large file takes the same time on a slow connection as on a fast one.
What does use the internet
| Buying Pro | Your purchase and its status go through the App Store or Google Play, with RevenueCat checking whether Pro is active. No document data is involved. |
|---|---|
| Usage statistics | Firebase Analytics records which tools are used and when something fails, so we know what to improve. It never receives the contents of your documents. |
| Crash reports | Firebase Crashlytics sends a technical report when the app crashes. It contains no document content. |
| Notifications | Firebase Cloud Messaging delivers the occasional tip or update notice. You can turn notifications off in your phone's settings. |
| The AI chat model | AI chat runs on the device. On iPhones with Apple Intelligence it uses Apple's built-in model. On other iPhones and on Android, the app downloads a small open model once, then works offline. |
Check it yourself
- Turn on airplane mode.
- Open ProperPDF and merge, compress or sign a PDF.
- It works the same as online. Nothing could have been uploaded.
On iPhone, Settings, then Privacy & Security, then App Privacy Report lists every domain each app contacts, so you can see for yourself what ProperPDF connects to.
What offline doesn't cover
When you share a PDF by email, WhatsApp or a cloud drive, it goes wherever you send it. Device backups, such as iCloud Backup or Google's backup, may include ProperPDF's library, depending on your backup settings. If a file needs protecting in transit, lock it with a password and send the password separately.
The full details are in the privacy policy.
Questions
Does ProperPDF upload my PDFs?
No. Every PDF tool runs on your phone or tablet. ProperPDF has no server that receives documents.
Does ProperPDF collect any data?
Anonymous usage statistics and crash reports through Firebase, and purchase status through the App Store or Google Play. None of it includes the contents of your documents.
Can I check this myself?
Yes. Turn on airplane mode and use any PDF tool. On iPhone you can also turn on App Privacy Report in Settings, Privacy & Security, to see every domain an app contacts.