How to make a PDF on iPhone
Quick answer: To make a PDF on iPhone, open quickpdfapp.com/jpg-to-pdf in Safari, sign in and tap Choose images. Pick the photos or screenshots from your library or Files, put them in order, choose a page size (fit photo, Letter or A4) and tap Download. For paper documents, use Scan to PDF with the camera instead.
Sign in with Google or email and start editing. Saving your file starts a free trial: 7 days on yearly ($29.78/yr) or 2 days on monthly ($2.99/mo). Cancel anytime. 🔒 Your file stays on your device.
Someone asks you to "send it as a PDF": a receipt for an expense claim, a signed page, a pay stub, a few photos of a damaged item. On iPhone, those usually start out as pictures, and a picture isn't a PDF.
This guide shows the quickest ways to turn photos and paper into a PDF on iPhone or iPad with Quick PDF, the methods built into iOS, how to choose the right one, and how to keep the result small enough to send.
Make a PDF from photos on iPhone with Quick PDF
- Open JPG to PDF In Safari go to quickpdfapp.com/jpg-to-pdf and sign in with Google or with your email and password.
- Tap Choose images Choose the photos or screenshots from your Photo Library, or browse the Files app. You can select several at once.
- Put them in order Drag the images into the order you want the pages to appear. Add more if you missed one.
- Pick a page size Choose fit photo to keep each picture's shape, or Letter or A4 if the PDF will be printed or uploaded to a form that expects standard pages.
- Download the PDF Tap Download to save the PDF to the Files app. Rename it to something clear, like receipts-october.pdf.
- Share or keep editing Send it with the share sheet, or open it in other Quick PDF tools to sign it, add text or compress it.
Photos, paper or a mix: pick the right method
| You have | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Photos or screenshots already on the phone | JPG to PDF | Turns images into pages, with page size options |
| Paper documents in front of you | Scan to PDF | Uses the camera and cleans up the page (Document, Grayscale, Color+ or Original) |
| Existing PDFs plus photos | Merge | Combines PDFs and photos into one file |
Scanning a paper page usually gives a cleaner, lighter PDF than a normal photo, because the Document look turns it into crisp black and white. See how to scan documents with your phone for tips.
Built-in ways to make a PDF on iPhone
iOS has a few PDF tricks of its own, and they're worth knowing:
- Files app, Create PDF: save the images to a folder in Files, tap Select, choose them, tap More (three dots) and Create PDF. The order follows the folder's sorting.
- Scan Documents: in the Files app or Notes, there's a scan option that uses the camera and saves a PDF.
- Print to PDF: in Photos or Safari, tap Share, then Print, and in the print preview spread two fingers apart on the page; it opens as a PDF you can share or save.
These work well for one-off jobs. Quick PDF adds control over page order and page size, and the same file can go straight on to signing, filling, compressing or merging in one place.
Making a PDF from screenshots
Screenshots of a confirmation page, a chat or a bank transfer are often requested as PDFs. A few tips:
- Crop out the status bar and anything private in the Photos app before converting.
- Use fit photo so tall screenshots aren't squeezed onto a Letter page with big margins.
- If a screenshot shows account numbers you don't want to share, convert it, then black them out with Redact. See how to convert a screenshot to PDF.
Keeping your new PDF small
iPhone photos are large, so a PDF made from ten of them can be heavy. Before you send:
- Check the size in Files (long-press, then Get Info).
- If it's too big for email or an upload form, run it through Compress and choose Balanced, which shrinks photos inside the PDF.
- For text documents, Scan to PDF with the Document look usually gives smaller files than colour photos.
More detail in how to reduce PDF file size on iPhone.
Troubleshooting
- I can't pick a photo. If it's stored in iCloud and not on the phone, it may take a moment to download. Try opening it in Photos first.
- The pages come out sideways. Turn them with Rotate on the finished PDF and download again.
- The PDF has white borders. You chose Letter or A4; choose fit photo to match each image's shape.
- An image file from Files won't load. JPG to PDF takes JPG and PNG images. Photos picked from the Photo Library are normally handed over in a compatible format, but a HEIC file saved in Files may not be. Pick it from the Photo Library instead, or set Settings, Camera, Formats to Most Compatible so new photos are saved as JPG.
- I need to type on the PDF. Use Add text after creating it.
Questions people ask
How do I turn a picture into a PDF on my iPhone?
Open Quick PDF's JPG to PDF tool in Safari, tap Choose images and pick the photo. Choose a page size and tap Download. The PDF is saved to the Files app. The Files app's Create PDF option and the Print preview trick also work for single images.
How do I combine several photos into one PDF on iPhone?
In JPG to PDF, select all the photos at once, drag them into order and download. Each photo becomes one page of the same PDF. If you also have existing PDFs to include, use Merge, which takes PDFs and photos together.
How do I scan a document into a PDF on iPhone?
Use Quick PDF's Scan to PDF: point the camera at the page, capture each page, choose the Document look for crisp black and white, and tap Save as PDF. The Files and Notes apps also have a built-in scan option.
Where does the PDF go after I make it?
It goes to the Files app, usually in Downloads (on iCloud Drive or On My iPhone, depending on your settings). From there you can rename it, move it to a folder or share it.
Can I make a PDF on iPad the same way?
Yes. JPG to PDF and Scan to PDF work in Safari on iPad. The bigger screen makes it easier to drag pages into order and check each one before downloading.
Can I edit the PDF after I make it?
Yes. Open it in Quick PDF to add text, sign, highlight, add or remove pages, or compress it. Because it's built from images, the words in it can't be retyped with Edit text, but you can cover and type over them.
Do I have to pay to use Quick PDF?
You can open a PDF and edit, sign or fill it after signing in with Google or email. To download, print or share the finished file you start a subscription with a free trial: 7 days on the yearly plan ($29.78 per year) or 2 days on the monthly plan ($2.99 per month). You are charged when the trial ends unless you cancel, and you can cancel anytime.
Sign in with Google or email and start editing. Saving your file starts a free trial: 7 days on yearly ($29.78/yr) or 2 days on monthly ($2.99/mo). Cancel anytime. 🔒 Your file stays on your device.