How to combine PDF files on iPhone

Combine PDF files on iPhone with Quick PDF

1. Gather the files in Files Make sure every PDF and photo you want to combine is saved in the Files app. Save email attachments with Save to Files; for photos you can pick them straight from the photo library in the next step.
2. Open the Merge tool In Safari go to quickpdfapp.com/merge-pdf and sign in with Google or with your email and password.
3. Tap Choose files Select two or more files. You can mix PDFs with JPG or PNG photos, and add more files afterwards if you forget one.
4. Put the pages in order Drag pages into the order you want. The first page you see is the first page of the combined PDF.
5. Tap Merge & download Quick PDF builds one PDF on your iPhone. Save it to Files and give it a clear name, such as application-complete.pdf.
6. Check and send Open the new file to check every page is there, then share it by Mail, Messages or upload it to the website that asked for it.

Open Merge PDF

The Files app method (and its limits)

iPhone can combine files without any website: in the Files app, tap Select, choose the PDFs and images, tap the three-dot More button and choose Create PDF. It's useful to know, with a few catches:

• The order follows how the files are sorted in the folder, so you may need to rename files (01, 02, 03) to get them in the right sequence.
• You can't drag individual pages around or drop a single page from the middle of one file.
• All files need to be in the same folder.

Quick PDF lets you drag pages into any order, mix files from anywhere, and then keep going: remove a page, rotate a sideways scan or compress the result. If you need to rearrange afterwards, see how to rearrange pages in a PDF.

Combining photos and PDFs together

A very common case is a PDF form plus photos of supporting documents, such as a driver's license, a receipt or a utility bill. Merge takes JPG and PNG photos alongside PDFs, so you don't need to convert the photos first.

• Take photos flat and in good light, filling the frame with the document.
• If a photo is sideways, fix it with Rotate on the combined file.
• If you only have photos and no PDFs, combining images into one PDF with JPG to PDF gives you page size options like Letter and A4.
• For paper documents you haven't photographed yet, use Scan to PDF, which cleans up the page. See how to scan documents with your phone.

What happens to forms and signatures when you merge

When files are combined, any fillable form fields are flattened: the answers become part of the page and can no longer be edited. That's usually what you want for a finished application. But if you still need to fill something in, do it first:

1. Fill and sign the form.
2. Download it.
3. Then merge it with the other documents.

Signatures you placed with Quick PDF's Sign tool stay exactly where you put them.

Combining PDFs on iPad

On iPad the steps are the same in Safari, and Split View makes it easier: keep the Files app open on one side to check which documents you have, and Quick PDF on the other. With a trackpad or mouse, dragging pages into order is quick and precise. Large page thumbnails also make it easier to spot a page that is upside down or in the wrong place.

Fixes for common merge problems

• I can't select some files. They may be in iCloud Drive and not downloaded yet; open the file once in the Files app to download it, then try again. Also check they're PDF, JPG or PNG files.
• One file asks for a password. Remove the password with Unlock first, then merge.
• The combined PDF is too large to email or upload. Run it through Compress; Balanced shrinks photos while keeping text sharp. See how to reduce PDF size on iPhone.
• A page is blank or extra. Delete it with the Pages tools before sending.
• The pages are in the wrong order. Drag them again before tapping Merge & download, or reorder later with Organize.

Questions people ask