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How to Merge PDF Files on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

Combine several PDFs into one file in the right order. Free methods for the browser, Mac Preview and Finder, iPhone and iPad, Windows 11 and Android.

By , Founder and editor-in-chiefPublished

Merge PDFCombine PDFs into one file, in any order. Free, unlimited and private.Organize PDFDrag pages into a new order, turn them, remove them, and save.Compress PDFMake PDFs smaller for email and upload limits, without sending them anywhere.

To merge PDF files, add them to a PDF merger, put them in the order you want, and save the result as one document. On Windows and Android the easiest way is a free browser tool such as our Merge PDF, while Macs, iPhones and iPads can also do it with Apple’s built-in Preview app.

Below you will find step-by-step instructions for each device, a quick comparison table, and fixes for the problems people hit most often.

Which method should you use?

Device Built-in option Easiest free option
Windows 11 None for merging Browser tool in Edge or Chrome
Mac Preview, or Finder’s Create PDF quick action Preview for a few files; browser tool for many
iPhone and iPad Preview app (iOS 26 and later) Browser tool in Safari
Android None for merging Browser tool in Chrome
Chromebook None for merging Browser tool in Chrome

A browser tool is the one method that works the same everywhere. Our Merge PDF tool combines the files inside your browser, so the documents are not uploaded to a server. That makes it a sensible choice for contracts, bank statements and ID scans.

How to merge PDFs online (any device)

  1. Open Merge PDF in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.
  2. Click Choose PDF files and select all the PDFs you want to combine. You can also drag them onto the page.
  3. Use the arrows to put the files in order. The first file in the list becomes the first pages of the new PDF.
  4. Click Merge, then download the combined PDF.

Pages are copied as they are. Text stays selectable and searchable, and images are not compressed again, so the merged file looks exactly like the originals.

Tip: name files with numbers before you start, such as 01-cover.pdf, 02-letter.pdf and 03-certificates.pdf. When you select them together, they usually arrive in the right order, which saves dragging.

How to merge PDFs on Windows 11

Windows 11 can open and print PDFs in Microsoft Edge, but it has no built-in way to combine them. Use a browser tool:

  1. Open Edge or Chrome and go to Merge PDF.
  2. In File Explorer, select your PDFs (hold Ctrl and click each one) and drag them onto the page.
  3. Arrange them, click Merge, and save. The file goes to your Downloads folder unless your browser asks where to save it.

You may see advice to print several files to Microsoft Print to PDF. That printer creates one PDF per print job, so it cannot join separate PDF files into one.

How to merge PDFs on a Mac

With Finder (fastest for whole files)

  1. Select the files in a Finder window or on the desktop, in the order you want them.
  2. Control-click the selection and choose Quick Actions > Create PDF.

Apple says the files appear in the order you selected them, and the new PDF gets a name similar to the first file (Apple Support). This also works with images, so you can mix scans and photos.

With Preview (best for picking pages)

  1. Open the first PDF in Preview and choose View > Thumbnails to show the sidebar.
  2. Drag the second PDF’s icon from Finder onto the sidebar, at the point where its pages should go.
  3. To add only some pages, open both PDFs with thumbnails showing and drag the pages you want from one sidebar to the other. Command-click to select pages that are not next to each other.
  4. Drag thumbnails up or down to reorder pages.

Preview saves changes automatically, so choose File > Duplicate first if you want to keep the original file untouched (Apple Support). You can also insert another PDF with Edit > Insert > Page from File; the new pages go after the page you selected.

How to merge PDFs on iPhone and iPad

With Safari (any iOS version)

  1. Open Merge PDF in Safari.
  2. Tap Choose PDF files, then Browse to select files from the Files app, iCloud Drive or another storage app.
  3. Put them in order, tap Merge, and download. The combined file is saved to the Downloads folder in the Files app.

With the Preview app (iOS 26 and later)

  1. Open the first PDF in Preview and tap the page count to show page thumbnails.
  2. Touch and hold the thumbnail of the page that should come before the new pages.
  3. Choose Insert from File and pick the second PDF.

Apple documents these page options in its guide to adding, deleting and moving PDF pages on iPhone. The Files app also has a Create PDF action for a selection of files on recent versions of iOS; look for it under the More button after you select several files.

How to merge PDFs on Android

Android does not include a PDF merger, and neither does the Google Drive app.

  1. Open Chrome and go to Merge PDF.
  2. Tap Choose PDF files. In the file picker, open Downloads, Google Drive or another app and select several files (touch and hold the first one to start a multiple selection).
  3. Arrange them, tap Merge, and download. The merged PDF appears in your Downloads folder, ready to share to email or WhatsApp.

Real-world examples

Task Files to merge Order that makes sense
Job application CV, cover letter, degree certificates Cover letter, CV, certificates
Visa application Passport scan, bank statements, employment letter Follow the checklist on the visa form
Expense claim Claim form and 8 receipt scans Form first, receipts by date
Yearly records 12 monthly statements January to December

When a portal accepts only one file, merging is the only way to send everything. Check the size afterwards. Twelve scanned statements can easily pass 10 MB. If the merged PDF is too big, see how to compress a PDF or run it through Compress PDF.

Problems and fixes

A file won’t merge. Most often it is password-protected. If a PDF asks for a password when you open it, you will need to remove that protection with the password first. A file that was only partly downloaded can also fail; download it again.

Pages are in the wrong order. Rearrange files before merging, or fix individual pages afterwards with Organize PDF.

Some pages are sideways. Scanned pages are often rotated. Rotate them before or after merging; the merge itself never changes orientation.

You only need part of a file. Take out the pages you need first. Our guide on how to split a PDF shows several ways to do it.

You have photos, not PDFs. Convert the images to PDF first, or use the Finder quick action on a Mac, which accepts images directly.

Fillable forms look odd. When two PDFs use the same form field names, their fields can clash after merging. If a form must stay fillable, fill it in first, then merge.

FAQ

Does merging PDFs reduce quality?

No. Merging copies each page as it is, so text stays sharp and searchable and images keep their original quality. The file size is roughly the sum of the originals.

How many PDFs can I merge at once?

Our tool has no file limit. With very large files, several hundred MB in total, the practical limit is your device’s memory.

Can I merge PDFs without uploading them?

Yes. Preview on Mac and iPhone works offline, and our Merge PDF tool runs in your browser, so your files stay on your device.

Can I merge a PDF with a Word file or a photo?

Convert the Word file to PDF first (in Word, use Save as and choose PDF). Photos can be turned into a PDF with a JPG to PDF tool and then merged like any other PDF.

Why is my merged PDF so large?

The merged file is about the size of all the originals added together. Compress it once at the end rather than compressing each file first.