How to combine PDF files on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

Combining PDFs sounds like it should be a built-in feature everywhere, but it isn't. Macs and iPhones can do it out of the box, Windows can't, and Android depends on which apps you have. Below is each method, step by step, with an honest note on when it's the right choice.

The quickest way on any device: an online merger

If you just need one file and don't want to learn a new app, a browser-based tool is the fastest route because it works the same on every system. With S-PDF's merge PDF tool:

1. Open the page and click Choose PDF files (or drag files onto the box).
2. Drag the thumbnails into the order you want. Use Sort A–Z if your file names are numbered.
3. Optionally type page ranges under a file, like 2-5, to leave pages out.
4. Click Merge PDF and download the result.

This is the best option on Windows (no built-in merge), and on any device when you need page ranges or want to mix in photos. Check the service's privacy policy first if your documents are sensitive; ours deletes files after one hour.

Windows 10 and 11

Windows can create PDFs with "Microsoft Print to PDF", but it can't combine existing ones. Your options are:

• An online tool — as above, no install.
• Adobe Acrobat (paid) — Tools → Combine Files, add files, arrange, then Combine. The free Acrobat Reader can't merge.
• A free desktop app such as PDFsam Basic or PDF24 Creator, if you merge large confidential batches offline and want everything on your own machine.

Avoid the "print everything to one PDF" workaround. Printing re-renders pages, which can lose links and selectable text and sometimes reduces image quality.

Mac (Preview)

Preview, which comes with every Mac, can merge PDFs:

1. Open the first PDF in Preview.
2. Choose View → Thumbnails to show the sidebar.
3. Drag the other PDF files from Finder into the sidebar, dropping them where they should go. You can also drag individual pages to reorder them.
4. Choose File → Export as PDF to save a new combined file and keep the original untouched.

A shortcut: select several PDFs in Finder, right-click and choose Quick Actions → Create PDF. Files are combined in the order they're sorted in Finder, so name them with numbers first.

iPhone and iPad (Files app)

1. Open the Files app and go to the folder with your PDFs.
2. Tap Select (or the ⋯ menu → Select) and tick the files.
3. Tap the ⋯ button at the bottom right and choose Create PDF.

The new PDF appears in the same folder. The order follows the folder's sort order, and there's no way to pick page ranges, so for anything more precise use an online tool in Safari — see merging PDFs on iPhone and Android for phone-specific tips.

Android

Android has no system-wide merge feature. Some phone makers include one in their own file manager or notes app, but it varies by brand. The reliable options are:

• A browser tool in Chrome — pick files from Files or Google Drive, reorder with your finger, merge and download.
• A PDF app from the Play Store. Check the permissions and whether merging is behind a paywall before installing.

Chromebook and Linux

On a Chromebook, a browser tool is the simplest option and works with files in Google Drive. On Linux, command-line users can merge with qpdf --empty --pages a.pdf b.pdf -- out.pdf or pdfunite a.pdf b.pdf out.pdf. Both copy pages without re-compressing them.

Which method should you use?

Three habits that save time

1. Number your files (01-, 02-…) before merging. Almost every method sorts by name.
2. Keep the originals. Save the merged file under a new name so you can redo it if the order was wrong.
3. Preview before sending. Scroll through once to catch duplicates and missing pages.

Published 13 October 2026 · Last updated 13 October 2026