Merge PDF

Merging is the go-to fix whenever someone asks for “a single PDF”. Typical cases are job applications that want a CV, cover letter and certificates in one file, visa and rental applications with several scanned documents, invoices and receipts for an expense claim, and chapters or reports written as separate files. One file is easier to attach, harder to lose and keeps the pages in the order you intended.

Merging also helps you stay organised: a single file per application, project or month is far easier to find later than a folder full of loose pages with names like scan_0042.pdf.

Files are joined in the order shown in the list. Add them all, then use the arrows next to each file to move it up or down before you press Merge. If you need the pages inside a file in a different order, or want to drop a page, fix that first with the PDF page tools, or pull out just the pages you need with Split PDF using Extract.

Give the merged file a clear name such as “Jane-Doe-application-2026”. Recipients see the file name first, and a descriptive one stands out in a crowded inbox.

No. Merging copies each page as it is, so text stays sharp and selectable, links keep working and images aren't recompressed. The merged PDF is roughly the size of all the input files added together.

If the result is too large to email, run it through the PDF compressor afterwards. Scanned pages usually shrink a lot; documents that are mostly text are already small.

Bookmarks and form fields in the source files may not carry over, so fill in and save any forms before merging.

You don't need a laptop to combine documents. On iPhone and iPad, tap the box and choose Browse to pick PDFs from the Files app, iCloud Drive, Google Drive or Dropbox; on Android, the file picker shows Downloads and your cloud apps. Add the files in any order, sort them with the arrows, then tap Merge PDFs. The finished PDF lands in your downloads, ready to attach to an email or upload to a form.

This is handy when an application asks for one PDF and the pieces are spread across email attachments and scans saved on your phone. Save each attachment to Files first, then merge them in one go.

Merge PDF works with PDF files only. To include photos of documents, first turn them into a PDF with JPG to PDF, PNG to PDF or, for iPhone photos, HEIC to PDF, then merge that PDF with the rest. Password-protected PDFs need to be unlocked with the password first, since a locked file can't be read and combined.