There is no time to waste in the fast-paced world of modern business. In order to stay on top of everything, you need to be able to access reports, memos, files, and updates as soon as you send them. Waiting on these important documents to be hand-delivered via “snail mail” is a one-way ticket to disaster.

Fortunately, technology has made it much easier to stay on top of vital information that you need to send and receive. All you have to do to send information worldwide is to press a few buttons on your cell phone. Imagine that level of convenience a hundred years ago during the Roaring Twenties! It would have sped up the booming economy to near-light speed.

In the old days, everything was written or typed onto paper before being sent. In modern times, you’ll need to use the proper file format based on the information you’re trying to send. For example, there are specific formats made for document files, image files, audio files, video files, and presentation files.

Most internal communication within a business relies on exchanging document files. There are several different types of document files, including word documents (DOC), text files (TXT), excel spreadsheet files (XLS), and hypertext markup language (HTML) are a few of the most common examples. However, none of these options are close to PDFs' popularity.

What Is a PDF?

Portable document files, or PDFs for short, are one of the most commonly used types of files on the internet. PDFs were created by the computer software developer Adobe in the early 1990s. The goal was to enable all users to capture documents from any application, send electronic versions to them anywhere, and view/print them using any machine.

These capabilities are often taken for granted and aren’t available in other formats. Microsoft Word documents, for example, are only allowed to be opened, viewed, and edited using the Microsoft Word program. If the person that you’re sending the document to doesn’t have Microsoft Word, then they won’t be able to access the information.

Another key benefit of PDFs is that they can preserve document formatting. No matter what device or program you use to open a PDF, there won’t be any differences in formatting or text. That’s not necessarily the case with other document file formats.

The last piece of information about PDFs is how easy they are to view. Modern web browsers can directly open a PDF in your browser window instead of downloading it. You will still have the option to download them if you would like. However, you won’t automatically have to use up the space on your hard drive before you can view the file. 

With all of these capabilities, you can probably imagine why PDFs instantly became the standard for businesses worldwide. If you haven’t been using PDFs to communicate with your co-workers or customers, it would be wise to start.

How Can You Send a PDF With Your Phone?

• Through Text
• Via Email
• Using the Cloud

It’s possible to effectively manage an entire business with just the phone in your pocket. Naturally, operating a business will involve sending PDFs to your various contacts. Here are the different ways that you can send PDFs from your phone:

Send PDFs Through Text

Sending a PDF via text is the easiest method, but it’s also the most limited one. Most text messages are sent via Short Message Service (SMS). The standard communication protocol for an SMS text is that each message must consist of 160 characters or less. It’s still possible to send a PDF via SMS text, but it’s a little more tricky and involves sending a hyperlink.

The best way to send a PDF is by using a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) text instead. MMS texts allow you to include an attached file in your messages, such as:

• A PDF
• Picture
• Video
• Emoji
• Website link

Instead of sending a hyperlink to the PDF, you’ll be sending a physical attachment of it.

The only downside is that some phones might block these processes if the file is too large. The phone sending the PDF and the phone receiving it would have to support the transfer of large MMS texts, or it won’t work. Most modern phones should have no problem sending PDFs via text, but it’s not a guarantee that it will work.

You can send a PDF via text message with both iPhone and Android, but the process will be a little different:

iPhone:

1. Locate the PDF file on your phone and open it.
2. Select the “Share” icon that should be located at the bottom left-hand corner of your screen.
3. You should see a list of options that include some of your most recent or frequently used contacts.
4. If the desired contact isn’t in this preview list, select to send the document via “Messages.”
5. Type in the recipient's phone number or locate their contact info before hitting send.

Android:

1. Open up your default Messages app.
2. Click on the attachment icon that resembles a photograph and camera.
3. Select the desired format of a PDF.
4. Locate the specific PDF that you want to send.
5. Add the contact information or phone number of the recipient and hit send. 

Via Email

Attaching a PDF to an email isn’t difficult. You should be able to easily send and receive PDFs whether you’re using Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or some other email service provider. There are some slight variations depending on which phone you are using:

iPhone:

1. Open up your email app and create a new email.
2. Tap inside the body of the email and allow the keyboard to appear.
3. Select the document icon.
4. Locate the PDF document that you want to send.
5. Type in the email of the PDF recipient and hit the send button. 

Android:

1. Locate the PDF file on your phone.
2. Press and hold the file until a prompt appears.
3. Select the “Share” or “Send” option that should appear with the prompt.
4. Your default email application should open up.
5. Type in the email of the PDF recipient and hit the send button.

Using the Cloud

Cloud-based sharing is one of the greatest technological advances in recent years. These online storage services basically function like virtual filing cabinets that authorized users can access at any time and anywhere on the planet. It wouldn’t even require a download to view it. Naturally, they are a perfect candidate for exchanging and storing all PDFs that might be relevant to a business.

The first step to accessing or sending a PDF via the cloud is signing up for a platform. Google Drive, Dropbox, iDrive, iCloud, and Microsoft Outlook are currently among the best cloud-sharing services.

Depending on which one you use, it might look a little different trying to upload or access a PDF. Normally, sending the file on your phone will require you to either text or email a sharing link to the recipient. They will simply click on the link and be able to access the PDF via the storage app.

Send PDF Documents the Easy Way

PDF documents are an everyday and essential aspect of operating a business. To succeed, you’ll need everyone on your team to stay well informed with up-to-date information. Sending PDFs is one of the easiest ways that you can do that. But using Dialed can make it even easier.

Dialed is an app that can help you manage your contacts and launch marketing campaigns from your personal phone. You’ll be given a separate business number that can help you keep work and home life separate, but everything else will function the same way. The benefits and limitations are virtually endless for anyone trying to operate a business.

Download Dialed today to start your free seven-day trial and experience the benefits for yourself. There’s no way to beat the organization and time-saving capabilities of using Dialed. 

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Sources:

Cloud Storage Definition | Investopedia

The Best Free Email Providers [2021 Guide to Online Email Account Services] | Free Code Camp

What is SMS? How Standard Text Messages Are Used, and How They Differ From MMS Texts | Business Insider

Basic Computer Skills: What is a PDF File? | GCF Global

21 Different Types of Files and How to Use Them | Indeed.com