How to Merge PDFs on iPhone and iPad (2 Free Ways)
You don't need to install an app to combine PDFs on an iPhone or iPad. There are two free methods, and which one is best depends on whether you care about the page order.
Method 1: the Files app (built in)
- Open the Files app and go to the folder containing your PDFs. If they're in different places, move them into one folder first.
- Tap Select (or the circle-with-dots menu, then Select), and tap each PDF you want to combine.
- Tap the More button (…) at the bottom right.
- Choose Create PDF.
A new PDF appears in the same folder, usually named after the first file.
The catch: page order. The Files app combines files in the order they're sorted in the folder, not the order you tapped them. To control the order, rename the files first — for example 1 cover.pdf, 2 invoice.pdf, 3 receipt.pdf — and sort the folder by name.
Method 2: in Safari (easy reordering)
- Open pdf-m.com in Safari.
- Tap Choose PDF files, then Browse to pick files from iCloud Drive, On My iPhone or connected services such as Google Drive. Select several at once.
- Use the ↑ ↓ buttons to put the files in order.
- Tap Merge PDFs, then Download PDF. Tap the download icon in Safari's address bar to open or share it.
The merged file is saved to the Downloads folder in the Files app. Nothing is uploaded — the merging happens on your iPhone.
Combining photos or scans with PDFs
If some of your pages are photos, turn them into a PDF first: in Photos, select the images, tap Share › Print, then pinch outwards on the preview and share the resulting PDF to Files. You can then merge it with your other PDFs as above.
Troubleshooting
- "Create PDF" isn't in the menu: make sure every selected item is a PDF or image. Folders and other file types hide the option.
- A file won't load: it may be password-protected. Open it, enter the password, and save a copy without protection.
- Very large files: older iPhones may struggle with several hundred pages at once. Merge in two batches, then merge the two results.