Sending one PDF instead of five makes life easier for everyone: a job application with a CV, cover letter and certificates; an expense claim with a dozen receipts; a signed contract plus its appendices. Here's how to merge PDF files into one on any device, without paying for software, plus fixes for the problems people run into most often.
Merge PDFs in your browser (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android)
- Open the free Merge PDF tool.
- Select all the PDFs at once (hold Ctrl, or Cmd on a Mac, to pick several), or drag them onto the page.
- Drag the file cards into the order you want. The first card becomes the first pages of the merged document.
- Forgot one? Use Add More Files, or drop it onto the preview area.
- Press Merge and download the combined PDF.
The merge happens in your browser, so your documents are never uploaded. Pages are copied exactly as they are: text stays selectable, images keep their original quality, and each page keeps its own size and orientation.
On a Mac with Preview
- Open the first PDF in Preview.
- Choose View > Thumbnails to show the page sidebar.
- Drag the other PDFs from Finder into the sidebar, dropping each one where it should go.
- Choose File > Export as PDF to save the result as a new file, so your first PDF isn't overwritten.
On iPhone or iPad with the Files app
- In the Files app, open the folder containing your PDFs and tap Select.
- Tap each file you want to combine.
- Tap the More button (the three dots) and choose Create PDF.
To control the order, sort or rename the files before combining them (for example 1-cv.pdf, 2-letter.pdf). The browser tool above also works in Safari if you prefer to drag pages into order.
On Windows
Windows has no built-in way to merge PDFs. "Microsoft Print to PDF" prints one document at a time, so it can't join separate files. A browser-based tool is the quickest option, especially on a work computer where you can't install software.
Tips and common problems
The pages are in the wrong order
Reorder the file cards before merging. If you need to move individual pages after merging, open the result in Organize PDF, where you can drag pages around, rotate them and delete the ones you don't need.
One of the files is password protected
Encrypted PDFs can't be combined until the password is removed. If you know the password, use Unlock PDF first, then merge the unlocked copy.
I need to insert pages in the middle of a document
Merging adds whole files one after another. To slip a few pages into a specific spot, for example a signed page into the middle of a contract, use Insert Pages instead.
The pages are different sizes
That's normal. A merged PDF can mix A4, Letter and landscape pages, and each page keeps its own size, just like the originals.
My form fields or bookmarks are gone
Bookmarks (the outline in a PDF reader's sidebar) belong to the original documents and aren't carried into the merged file. Fillable form fields may also stop working. If a form is already filled in, run it through Flatten PDF first so the answers become part of the page.
The merged file is too big to send
A merged PDF is roughly the size of all its parts added together. If it exceeds an email or upload limit, run it through Compress PDF. Our guide on compressing a PDF without losing quality explains which level to choose.
Merging images instead of PDFs?
If you have photos of documents (JPG, PNG or WebP) rather than PDFs, use Image to PDF. It combines images into a single PDF, one image per page, in the order you choose.
Frequently asked questions
Does merging PDFs reduce quality?
No. Merging copies the pages as they are; nothing is re-compressed.
Is there a limit to how many PDFs I can merge?
There's no fixed file limit. Because merging runs in your browser, very large jobs (hundreds of megabytes) depend on your device's memory, so on older phones it helps to merge in batches.
Can I merge PDFs on Android?
Yes. Open the Merge PDF tool in Chrome, pick the files from your phone's storage, and download the result.
Is it safe to merge confidential documents online?
With Quickaboo, the files are processed on your own device and never uploaded, so they stay private.