You're standing in a parking lot, the leasing office wants "everything in one PDF," and your laptop is at home. Good news: your iPhone can do this, and you don't need to download anything. Here are three ways, from the quickest to the most flexible.
Method 1: The Files app (built in)
Since iOS 15, the Files app can combine PDFs and images into one PDF. It's hidden in a menu, which is why most people never find it.
- Get your PDFs into one folder. Open the Files app and go to the folder where they live (On My iPhone, iCloud Drive, Downloads, wherever). If they're in different places, move them into one folder first. Press and hold a file, tap Move, pick the folder.
- Tap the three-dots button (top right) and choose Select.
- Tap each file you want to combine. They'll get a blue check mark.
- Tap the three-dots button at the bottom right (the "More" button) and choose Create PDF.
- A new PDF appears in the same folder, usually named after the first file. Rename it by pressing and holding, then tapping Rename.
The catch: you don't get to pick the order. Files combines them in the order they're sorted in the folder, which is usually by name. So if order matters, rename your files first with numbers in front, like "1 application," "2 pay stub," "3 ID." Then sort the folder by name (tap the list button and choose Name) before you select them.
Method 2: Your browser, with JoinPDFs
This is the one to use when you want control over the order, or when you want to mix in photos from your camera roll.
- Open JoinPDFs Merge PDF in Safari (or Chrome).
- Tap Select files. You'll get a menu: choose Browse to pick PDFs from the Files app, or Photo Library to grab pictures.
- In Browse, tap Select at the top, tap all the files you want, then tap Open.
- Your files show up as cards. Drag them, or use the arrow buttons, until the order is right.
- Tap Merge PDF, then Download. Safari will show a little download arrow in the address bar. Tap it, then tap the file to open it, and use the Share button to save it to Files, email it or AirDrop it.
The merging happens on your phone, inside Safari. Your files aren't uploaded anywhere, which matters when it's your pay stubs and driver's license. It also works with no cell signal once the page has loaded.
Method 3: A Shortcut (for the power users)
If you merge PDFs all the time, you can build a Shortcut that does it from the Share sheet. The short version:
- Open the Shortcuts app and tap + to make a new shortcut.
- Turn on Show in Share Sheet in the shortcut's settings and set it to accept PDFs and images.
- Add the Make PDF action. It combines everything it receives into one PDF.
- Add a Save File action (or Share) so you can choose where the result goes.
Now select several PDFs in Files, tap Share, and run your shortcut. Like the Files method, order follows the order you selected or the folder sort, so it's best for stuff where order doesn't matter much.
Which method should you use?
- Quick combine, order doesn't matter: Files app.
- Specific order, or mixing photos and PDFs: JoinPDFs in your browser.
- You do this every week: build the Shortcut.
Common snags and how to fix them
"Create PDF" isn't showing up
Make sure you've selected at least one file and that you're tapping the More (three dots) button at the bottom of the Files app, not the one at the top. Very old iOS versions don't have it, so update if you can.
The merged file is too big to email
Scans and photos add up fast. Run the merged PDF through Compress PDF on Medium, which often cuts the size in half or better. More tips in how to reduce PDF size for email.
One page is sideways
Phones love scanning things sideways. Open the merged file in Rotate PDF, tap the sideways page and save.
A file won't open or merge
If one PDF has a password, nothing will merge it until the password is removed. Open it in an app that knows the password, and use Print, then pinch out on the preview to make a new copy, then share that copy to Files.
I can't find the downloaded file
Safari downloads go to the Downloads folder in the Files app by default (either On My iPhone or iCloud Drive, depending on your settings). Open Files, tap Browse, then Downloads.
Bonus: turning paper into a PDF first
Need to add a paper document? Open the Notes app, start a new note, tap the camera icon and choose Scan Documents. It finds the page edges and straightens them for you. Share the scan as a PDF to Files, then merge it with the rest.