Best Highlight Text Apps & Games

226+ iOS apps & games curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
19 free apps & games
Updated July 2026

Every iPhone needs a few good highlight text apps and games. We benchmark 226+ of them on App Store rating, freshness, and pricing, then surface the standouts so you don't have to scroll the App Store yourself.

Compare top Highlight Text Apps & Games (July 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Highlights: PDF Reader & NotesHighlights: PDF Reader & NotesFree4.5★ (1.6K)NoYesJul 2026
2Book Tracker: HighlightedBook Tracker: HighlightedFree4.9★ (698)NoYesJul 2026
3Noteful: Notes & PDF MarkupNoteful: Notes & PDF MarkupFree4.8★ (23K)NoYesJul 2026
4PDF Expert: Editor & ConverterPDF Expert: Editor & ConverterFree4.7★ (216K)NoYesJul 2026
5Goodnotes:AI 笔记、白板、PDFGoodnotes:AI 笔记、白板、PDFFree4.7★ (436K)NoYesJul 2026
6Cross Stitch: AntistressCross Stitch: AntistressFree4.9★ (17)YesYesJul 2026
7Annotable: Annotation & MarkupAnnotable: Annotation & MarkupFree4.6★ (894)NoYesJul 2026
8Black Highlighter: Redact TextBlack Highlighter: Redact TextFree4.4★ (86)NoYesJul 2026

Top Picks for Highlight Text

Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes#1

Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes by Jonas Myren Ribe

Edit Research Documents/Books
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.5😐(1.6K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 1
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 2
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 3
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 4
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 5
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 6

This app is a fast and lightweight PDF reader designed for research. It allows users to read, highlight, and annotate documents, and then extract this information into organized notes. Advanced features include table data extraction, text recognition, and smart copying of annotations into various formats.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great for highlighting and annotating PDFs
  • 🔍 Effective for research and note-taking
  • 📚 Useful for academic and professional work
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Subscription model is too expensive
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Limited search functionality
Book Tracker: Highlighted#2

Book Tracker: Highlighted by Damir Stuhec

Bookshelf, Notes & Quotes
Strong Contender
📚 Books
4.9😊(698 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Book Tracker: Highlighted screenshot 1
Book Tracker: Highlighted screenshot 2
Book Tracker: Highlighted screenshot 3
Book Tracker: Highlighted screenshot 4
Book Tracker: Highlighted screenshot 5
Book Tracker: Highlighted screenshot 6

Capture, organize, and revisit key passages from your books with advanced text recognition. Create collections, add tags and notes, and easily export your highlights. Stop forgetting what you read and make your reading more impactful.

What We Love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🚀 Accurate text recognition
  • 💡 Useful for readers and students
  • 🔖 Allows organizing highlights by book and tags

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Issues with text ordering and formatting
  • 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
  • 📱 Needs offline support and sync capabilities
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup#3

Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup by Noteful Technologies Ltd

Highlight. Write. Learn.
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.8😊(23K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 1
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 2
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 3
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 4
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 5
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 6

This app revolutionizes paperless note-taking on iPad, allowing for handwritten notes, document annotation, and knowledge organization. It offers a fluid writing experience, PDF markup, powerful tagging, and audio recording synced with notes.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Smooth writing experience
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 💡 Layers feature
  • 👍 Affordable one-time purchase

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔍 No handwriting recognition or search
  • 🔍 Limited text editing options

More Highlight Text apps to explore

4
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter
Edit, Read, Scan・Sign Document
Free

This app allows you to edit, annotate, fill out forms, and convert PDF documents. It offers AI-powered summarization and analysis, along with tools to merge, sign, and protect your files. Work seamlessly across Apple devices with a user-friendly interface.

Edit PDF text and imagesAnnotate and highlight PDFsFill out PDF forms
📊 Productivity
(216K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Goodnotes:AI 笔记、白板、PDF
Goodnotes:AI 笔记、白板、PDF
Goodnotes:AI 笔记、白板、PDF
一款支持手写笔记、白板、标注、思维导图等功能的高效笔记App
Free

Capture ideas, enhance productivity, and unlock insights with advanced AI features. This app offers tools for professionals, students, and creatives, including infinite whiteboards, AI-powered transcription and summarization, and customizable digital notebooks.

AI-powered transcription and summarizationInfinite whiteboard canvasDigital notebooks with customizable templates
📊 Productivity
(436K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Cross Stitch: Antistress
Cross Stitch: Antistress
Cross Stitch: Antistress
Color by number with a yarn!
Free

Experience a therapeutic digital ritual that digitizes traditional needlework. Enjoy hyperrealistic graphics and authentic patterns, with the ability to unlock printable physical patterns upon completion. Designed for zero anxiety with no timers or fail states.

Hyperrealistic 3D thread texturesAuthentic DMC thread palettesUnlockable printable PDF patterns
🌟 Lifestyle
(17)
free with in-app purchases
7
Annotable: Annotation & Markup
Annotable: Annotation & Markup
Annotable: Annotation & Markup
Image Annotation & Markup
Free

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for annotating and marking up images. It offers a wide range of customization options for common annotation elements and unique features like text highlighting on screenshots. The app supports various iOS system integrations for a seamless user experience.

Common annotation tools (rectangles, text, arrows)Customizable colors, sizes, and fontsBlur and pixelation for obscuring information
📷 Photo & Video
(894)
free with in-app purchases
8
Black Highlighter: Redact Text
Black Highlighter: Redact Text
Black Highlighter: Redact Text
Censor & secure screenshots
Free

Easily hide sensitive information in photos and screenshots. The Magic Highlighter automatically detects text and covers it perfectly, ensuring no details are missed. Advanced features allow for automatic redaction of specific information and custom shortcuts for streamlined workflows.

Magic Highlighter for automatic text detectionMultiple color options for redactionImport images from Photos
📷 Photo & Video
(86)
free with in-app purchases
9
Typorama: Text on Photo Editor
Typorama: Text on Photo Editor
Typorama: Text on Photo Editor
Typography Art & Poster Maker
Free

Create stunning typographic designs and posters from your text and photos without needing design skills. The app automatically generates unique layouts with various fonts and styles, saving you hours of work. Perfect for social media posts, flyers, and branding.

Automated typographic text layoutsCustomizable text styles and fontsSocial media post creation
📷 Photo & Video
(115K)
free with in-app purchases
10
Cross Stitch: Coloring Art
Cross Stitch: Coloring Art
Cross Stitch: Coloring Art
Cross Stitch Coloring Art Game
Free

Color your stress away with a vast collection of free cross-stitch patterns. Create your own unique artworks by following numbers and letters, or import your own photos to transform them into embroidery designs. Share your creations with friends and family.

Wide range of free patternsImport your own picturesFollow numbers and letters
🎮 Games
(4.5K)
free with in-app purchases
11
PDF Highlighter - Annotate PDF
PDF Highlighter - Annotate PDF
PDF Highlighter - Annotate PDF
mark important text in PDF
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
12
CiteLighter
CiteLighter
CiteLighter
Highlight Text in Images!
Free

Easily highlight text from images of books or articles. Capture text from photos or screenshots and emphasize key passages by blurring the surrounding content.

Highlight text from imagesCapture text from photosCapture text from screenshots
📚 Books
(29)
free
13
Highlight covers & story frame
Highlight covers & story frame
Highlight covers & story frame
For Instagram highlight covers
Free

Easily create stunning Instagram story highlight covers and frames. Choose from professionally designed templates, add icons, frames, or text to personalize your stories. Keep your profile looking classy and organized.

Create highlight coversDesign story framesUse pre-made templates
🎬 Entertainment
(6.7K)
free with in-app purchases
14
Cross-Stitch: Coloring Book
Cross-Stitch: Coloring Book
Cross-Stitch: Coloring Book
The amazing puzzle board game
Free

Color your stress away with a vast collection of free cross-stitch patterns. Transform your own photos into unique embroidery art or explore daily updated designs. Enjoy a calming and creative experience with user-friendly gameplay and share your masterpieces easily.

Wide range of free patternsImport personal picturesDaily updated designs
🎮 Games
(11K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Runestone Text Editor
Runestone Text Editor
Runestone Text Editor
Edit plain text and code
Free
$4.99 | 100% OFF

A powerful plain text and code editor for iPhone and iPad. Offers syntax highlighting, line numbers, find and replace, and extensive customization options for developers and writers.

Syntax highlighting for many languagesCustomizable themes and fontsAdvanced find and replace
🛠️ Developer Tools
(1.3K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Highlight Cover: StoryLight
Highlight Cover: StoryLight
Highlight Cover: StoryLight
by Hashone Tech LLP
Free

Enhance your Instagram profile with custom highlight covers. This app offers a vast library of templates, backgrounds, icons, and text options to make your profile visually appealing and attract more followers. Easily customize designs to create a unique and professional look for your stories.

1000+ ready-made cover templatesCustomizable colors, borders, icons, and stickersVariety of backgrounds (floral, marble)
🌟 Lifestyle
(5.6K)
free with in-app purchases
17
Snap Markup - Annotation Tool
Snap Markup - Annotation Tool
Snap Markup - Annotation Tool
Annotate Photos, Images & Pics
$1.99

Easily edit and annotate photos, images, and pictures with a wide array of tools. Add text, shapes, stickers, blur sensitive areas, and magnify details. Save in high quality and share your creations quickly.

Crop and rotate images in various shapesAdd text with customizable stylesPixelate and blur sensitive areas
🔧 Utilities
(3.5K)
free
18
Notability: AI Notes & Planner
Notability: AI Notes & Planner
Notability: AI Notes & Planner
Daily notebook & study journal
Free

Capture, organize, and enhance your thoughts with a versatile digital notebook. Seamlessly blend handwriting, typing, and multimedia to annotate documents, record lectures, and generate summaries. Ideal for students and professionals seeking to boost productivity and learning.

Handwritten and typed notesPDF and document annotationAudio recording and transcription
📊 Productivity
(451K)
freemium
19
Make It Big
Make It Big
Make It Big
Show large text on your screen
Free

Display large, customizable text messages that fill your entire screen. Easily edit text, switch between portrait and landscape modes, and even flash your message with a shake. Store recent messages for quick access.

Full-screen text displayCustomizable fonts and colorsPortrait and landscape support
🔧 Utilities
(5.1K)
free
20
Highlighter Pen
Highlighter Pen
Highlighter Pen
No-nonsense Highlighter app
Free

This app allows you to highlight text with various colors and brush styles. Easily export your highlighted content to any other application.

Choose highlight colorSelect brush styleEasy export functionality
📊 Productivity
(38)
free

FAQ about Highlight Text

What are the best highlight text apps & games for iPhone?
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes tops our highlight text apps & games ranking as of July 2026, with a 4.5-star average from 1.6K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 19 of the top highlight text apps & games we rank are free to download, including Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes and Book Tracker: Highlighted.
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of July 2026.
We track 226+ highlight text apps & games on the iOS App Store as of July 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
Highlights is a PDF reader designed for research. It allows you to read, browse, and annotate PDF documents with various tools like highlighting, underlining, and strikethrough. It also extracts your annotations into organized notes and can convert table data and recognize text within PDFs.
Key features include reading and browsing PDFs, annotating text and images, adding comments, extracting annotations into notes, converting table data to CSV, recognizing text from images, and smart copying of annotations into formats like BibTex for citations.