How to merge PDF files on an iPhone or Android phone
Phones are now where many documents arrive: as email attachments, downloads and scans. When a form wants a single PDF, you need to combine several files without a computer.
Merge PDF works in your phone's browser, so there is no app to download first. The files are processed on your phone and are not uploaded to PixnPDF.
Get your files ready
Save the PDFs you want to combine to your phone first. On an iPhone, save attachments to the Files app. On Android, they usually go to the Downloads folder. If some of your pages are paper, use Scan to PDF with the camera to turn them into a PDF too.
Give the files clear names so you can recognise them in the file picker.
Combine them
Open Merge PDF in Safari, Chrome or another browser and tap to choose files. Select all the PDFs you want. Page thumbnails let you drag pages into the right order, rotate a sideways page, remove one you do not need or add a blank page.
Tap the merge button, then download the combined file. On an iPhone you can save it to Files; on Android it goes to your downloads.
Make it fit the upload
A combined PDF of several scans can be large. If the form has a size limit, open the merged file in Compress PDF and check the size it reports. You can continue straight from the results screen without choosing the file again.
Phones have less memory than computers, so very large files may need to be merged in smaller groups. If the browser struggles, merge half, then merge the result with the rest.
Use it like an app
If you merge files often, you can install PixnPDF from the browser so it opens from your home screen like an app. There is no app store download; the Install page explains how on each phone.
Installed or not, the tools work the same way and your files stay on your device.
Turn photos into PDF pages first
Sometimes part of what you need is a photo, such as a receipt or a page of a passport. Merge PDF combines PDF files, so convert photos first. Image to PDF accepts JPG, PNG, WebP and iPhone HEIC photos and lets you pick a page size, then you can merge the result with your other PDFs.
For paper documents, Scan to PDF is better than a plain photo: it lets you crop the page edges and straighten the perspective, so the page looks like a scan rather than a picture of a desk.
Check the result on a bigger screen if you can
Small text is hard to check on a phone screen. Before you send an important packet, zoom in on each page, or open the file on a computer. Make sure every page is upright, in order and readable.
If you find a mistake, you do not have to start again. Open the merged file in Organize PDF to move, rotate or delete individual pages.
How it works
- Save the PDFs to Files on iPhone or Downloads on Android.
- Open Merge PDF in your phone's browser and choose the files.
- Arrange the pages in the right order and remove extras.
- Merge and download the combined PDF.
- Compress it if the form has a size limit, then upload.
Before you export Check the page order in the final file before sending it. A missing or out-of-order page is the most common reason a submission gets returned.
Common questions
Do I need to install an app?
No. Merge PDF works in your phone's browser. Installing PixnPDF from the browser is optional.
Are my files uploaded?
No. The files are processed on your phone and are not sent to PixnPDF.
Can I reorder pages from different files?
Yes. Thumbnails let you move individual pages across the files before merging.
The merge is slow on my phone. What can I do?
Merge fewer or smaller files at a time, then merge the results together.