Dark mode PDF for iPad
iPadOS dark mode does not reliably reach into a PDF. This makes the file itself dark, so it stays dark wherever you open it on the iPad.
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Why iPad dark mode is not enough
Turning on dark mode in iPadOS changes the chrome around a PDF — the toolbar, the background behind the page — but in Books, Files' own PDF viewer, and most other apps, the page content stays exactly as light as the original file. You end up with a dark app frame around a bright white rectangle, which is worse for glare than no dark mode at all.
Works across the apps you already use
Because this converts the file rather than the app, the same dark PDF opens correctly in Books, in the Files app, and in annotation apps like GoodNotes, since it is imported as a regular file, not a special format. Whatever you already use to read and mark up PDFs on the iPad keeps working.
Annotating a converted file
Because text, links and page structure are preserved rather than the pages being turned into images, a converted PDF still behaves like a normal document in an annotation app — you can still highlight, underline and add notes on top of it.
Questions
Does turning on Dark Mode in iPad settings not already do this?
No. iPadOS dark mode changes app chrome, not the content of a PDF page in most viewers — the page itself stays white. Converting the file makes the page itself dark, everywhere you open it.
Will it open normally in the Books app?
Yes. It is a standard PDF file, so it imports into Books the same way any PDF does, and displays dark because the file itself is dark.
Can I still annotate it in GoodNotes?
Yes. Text, links and page structure are preserved, so a converted PDF imports and behaves like any other document in GoodNotes or a similar app.
Does it work if I open the file from Files rather than a browser?
Yes, it is a regular file once downloaded — open it from the Files app exactly as you would any other PDF.