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You have a few PDFs on your iPhone or iPad and want to turn them into one file, for example to send an application in one go. You don’t need to install an app for that: it works right in Safari, on iOS or iPadOS 16.4 or later.
How it works
- Open Merge PDF in Safari.
- Tap the box to choose files. Pick your PDFs in the Files app. You need at least two.
- Put them in the right order. Adjust the order in the list before you merge.
- Tap Merge and download the result. By default, Safari saves the new file in the Files app, usually in the Downloads folder.
Where are your PDFs?
- In an email: open the attachment, tap the share button and choose Save to Files. Then you can pick it in Safari.
- In iCloud Drive: you can choose those files straight away; they appear in the Files app.
- As photos: first turn them into a PDF with JPG to PDF. See Turn a scan or photo into a PDF.
Where does the merged file go?
Safari asks whether you want to download the file. It then lands in Files, in the Downloads folder (iCloud Drive or On My iPhone, depending on your settings). Open it there to check it, or share it straight away via email or a messaging app.
On an iPad
On an iPad it works the same, in Safari on iPadOS 16.4 or later. A few things are handier there:
- Drag instead of tapping. Put the Files app and Safari side by side (Split View or Stage Manager) and drag your PDFs straight onto the box.
- Downloads land in Files, in the Downloads folder in iCloud Drive or On My iPad.
- Large files: the tool treats an iPad like a phone when it checks file sizes, and warns you before a file gets too large for the device.
What is kept?
- Bookmarks, links and form fields keep working.
- Pages are not recompressed, so the quality stays the same.
- You can also merge Word or PowerPoint files, as long as they are all the same type.
An iPhone has less memory than a laptop. Up to about 50 MB in total usually works well. With very large files, close other tabs first, or merge them on a computer. The tool warns you before a file gets too large for your device.
The built-in alternative
On recent iOS versions you can also select the PDFs in the Files app, tap More and choose Create PDF. That is quick for a few files, but you can’t easily set the order. In Safari you choose the order yourself, and you can merge Word or PowerPoint files too.
Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded?
No. Your iPhone or iPad merges the files itself, in Safari. They don’t leave your device until you send them yourself.
Does it also work in Chrome on iPhone?
Yes. The steps are the same in Chrome, Firefox or Edge on iPhone; only the place where downloads are saved can differ.
The merged file is too large to email. What now?
Make it smaller with Compress PDF, also in Safari. Read PDF too large to email? for more tips.
Does it work on an iPad?
Yes. Use Safari on iPadOS 16.4 or later; the steps are the same as on an iPhone. You can also drag PDFs from the Files app onto the box.