How to convert PDF files on iPhone

No app needed

You don't need to install anything to work with PDFs on an iPhone or iPad. Convertora works in Safari, and most of its PDF and image tools run on the phone itself. A free account is required; that means nothing uploaded, and nothing left behind in a third-party app.

Step by step

1. 1Open convertora.online in Safari and choose a tool, for example PDF to JPG, Compress PDF or Merge PDF.
2. 2Tap the upload area. Choose Browse to pick a PDF from the Files app, iCloud Drive or another storage provider you've connected.
3. 3Pick your settings and tap the button to convert.
4. 4Tap Download. Safari saves the file and shows it in its Downloads list.

Finding your downloads

By default, Safari saves downloads to the Downloads folder in the Files app (On My iPhone or iCloud Drive, depending on your settings). You can change this in Settings → Apps → Safari → Downloads.

Images: open the JPG in Files, tap Share, then Save Image to add it to Photos.

ZIP files: when you download several pages or photos at once, they arrive as one ZIP. Tap it in the Files app and iOS expands it into a folder.

Useful tools on iPhone

PDF to JPG: share a page in Messages or WhatsApp as an image.

Compress PDF: get a scan under an email or upload limit.

Merge PDF: combine several scans into one file.

HEIC to JPG: make iPhone photos open on Windows and websites.

PDF to Word: edit the text of a PDF. This one runs on our server and needs a free account.

Which tools upload your file?

The PDF and image tools run on your phone, so files stay on the device. PDF to Word, PDF to Excel and PDF to PowerPoint, plus Word, Excel and PowerPoint to PDF, are converted on our server. Each of those pages explains this before you start. The file is sent over HTTPS, and the result is kept privately for up to an hour, then deleted.

Tips for smoother conversions

Very large files can be slow on older phones, because the work happens on the device. Keep Safari open on the page until the download appears, choose a lower resolution for long documents, or split a big PDF first.

If a password-protected PDF won't open, remove the password first. Convertora can't read encrypted files.

Getting a PDF onto your iPhone

Email attachments: tap the attachment, tap Share, then Save to Files. It will then appear when you choose Browse in Convertora.

Paper documents: in the Notes app, tap the camera icon and choose Scan Documents. Share the scan as a PDF and save it to Files. Merge PDF can then combine several scans, and Compress PDF can shrink them for sending.

Cloud storage: iCloud Drive appears in the Files app automatically. Other services such as Google Drive or Dropbox appear there once their app is installed and enabled in Files.

Frequently asked questions