PDF Burrow guide: the tools most people need first

The PDF Burrow app puts a large set of PDF tools on your Android phone, and most people only need five of them at first: Scan to PDF, Compress PDF, Merge PDF, Sign PDF and Image to PDF. Learn those, and you can handle most everyday paperwork from your phone. This guide walks through them, then points you to the tools worth exploring next.

What is the PDF Burrow app?

PDF Burrow is an Android app for scanning, editing, converting and protecting PDFs. It used to be called PDF Den, and it is the same app under a new name. If you still see PDF Den on Google Play, that is the old name showing until the rename reaches the store listing.

Three things set the tone for how it works:

• On-device processing. Files are processed on your phone, not uploaded to a server.
• No account. You open the app and start. There is no sign-up.
• 14 languages, including Arabic and Urdu shown right to left.

The app shows ads, which is how it is funded.

The five tools to learn first

These cover most of what people do with PDFs on a phone in a typical week.

1. Scan to PDF

Photograph documents, let the app clean up each page, and export them as one PDF. Use it for forms, letters, receipts and anything you would otherwise put through a scanner. Our phone scanning tips help you get clean, readable pages.

2. Compress PDF

Reduce file size for easier sharing. This is the tool you need when an email bounces or an upload form says your file is too big. There is also Compress Image, which shrinks JPG and PNG photos to fit a limit like 100 KB.

3. Merge PDF

Combine several PDFs into one document. Handy for job applications, visa packs and anything where a portal wants a single file.

4. Sign PDF

Draw your signature once, then tap to place it on any page. It saves printing, signing and scanning a document just to return it.

5. Image to PDF

Combine JPG or PNG images into one PDF, with control over page size, orientation and margins. Great for photos of documents you have already taken.

Your first job, step by step

A common first task is sending a signed form that someone emailed you.

1. Open PDF Burrow and choose Sign PDF.
2. Pick the PDF from your phone.
3. Draw your signature, then tap where it should go.
4. Save the signed copy.
5. If the file is large, open Compress PDF and shrink it.
6. Share the result from the app to your email or messaging app.

Tools to explore next

Once you have the basics, the rest of the app is organized around what you need to do.

Organize pages

• Organize Pages to reorder, rotate or delete pages, or keep only some of them.
• Crop / Trim Pages and Resize Pages for tidy, standard-size documents.
• Bookmarks / TOC, Search in PDF and Read Mode (Liquid) for long documents.

Edit and annotate

• Edit PDF to tap and change text in place or swap photos.
• Fill Forms for interactive forms, and Fill Form by Voice if you would rather answer questions aloud.
• Highlight & Annotate, Sticky Notes, Add Text, Add Image and Add Hyperlinks.
• Add Watermark, Page Numbers and Header & Footer.

Convert

• PDF to Word, PDF to JPG, PDF to Text and PDF to PowerPoint.
• Text to PDF, ID Card to PDF and PDFs to ZIP.
• Translate for PDF, Word or text files.

Office

• File Viewer for Word, Excel, CSV and text files, with export to PDF.
• Word Editor, Excel Editor, Create Invoice and Templates.

Security and privacy

• Password Protect, Unlock PDF, Redact PDF and Flatten PDF.
• Safe for AI to hide personal details before sending a PDF to a chatbot.
• Check Document to spot signs a salary slip, bill or bank statement was edited.

Smart helpers

• Make Searchable (OCR) to turn scans into searchable text.
• Bills & Receipts to get a due date reminder, calendar entry or expense log from a scan.
• Ask AI for summaries and answers from a PDF, or a search across your files.
• Voice Commands to say something like "delete page 3 and compress it" and have it run step by step.

Things worth knowing

• Some features download something first. Translate downloads each language the first time you use it, and Ask AI can use an optional on-device model. After that, they work on the phone.
• Keep your originals. Tools save results as new files, so you can always go back.
• Redaction is different from covering. To remove private details properly, use Redact PDF rather than drawing over them. Our guide to redacting a PDF properly explains why.
• Privacy is the point. If you are unsure about uploading a document elsewhere, read are online PDF tools safe for private documents?

Where to go from here

You can find the full tool list and download links on the PDF Burrow page. If you are choosing between apps, our guide on what to look for in an all-in-one PDF app for Android covers the questions worth asking.

Frequently asked questions

Is PDF Burrow the same app as PDF Den?

Yes. PDF Burrow is the new name of PDF Den. Your app keeps working, and the tools are the same.

Do I need an account to use PDF Burrow?

No. There is no sign-up. You open the app and use the tools straight away.

Are my files uploaded when I use PDF Burrow?

No. Files are processed on your phone. Features like translation and the optional AI model download a language or model to the phone first, then work locally.

Which languages does the app support?

The app is available in 14 languages, including Arabic and Urdu, which are shown right to left.