Helicon

Read and annotate research papers on iPad.

Open a paper as a PDF. Hold a finger in the margin, and a pin drops beside the line you want to argue with. The pin opens a note that holds typing, Apple Pencil ink, a checklist or your voice.

Download on the App Store

Try the next version early on TestFlight

Or get the beta link and news by email.

Free, for iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 or later.

Scanned papers too.

An older paper is often a scan. Helicon reads its words on your device with Apple's Vision, so you can select, highlight and speed read a scanned page like any other.

Find it again.

Search finds the author's words and your own notes, and shows your notes first. Review brings back the questions you wrote, so a paper you read last month still has its point.

What Helicon does today

  • Pins in the margin
  • Apple Pencil ink
  • Scanned PDFs read on your device
  • Search across your notes
  • Review of your own questions
  • Markdown export

Read more on the Helicon home page.

Try Helicon on your next book.

Download on the App Store

Try the next version early on TestFlight

Or get the beta link and news by email.

Free, for iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 or later.

Questions or ideas? Chat with us on Discord.