Many application forms ask for one PDF containing all your documents: certificates, ID copy, CV and so on. If you only have your phone, combining them sounds hard. It isn’t. You don’t need to install an app, and it takes about a minute in your phone’s web browser.

Before you start: save the PDFs on your phone

The files need to be on your phone, not only inside a chat. If someone sent you a PDF on WhatsApp, Viber or email, open it and use the Share, Save or Download option to keep a copy in your phone’s files. If some of your documents are photos instead of PDFs, turn them into a PDF first with JPG to PDF. More on that below.

How to merge PDFs on Android

  1. Open Chrome and go to the Merge PDF tool.
  2. Tap the box that says “Click to choose PDF files”. If your phone asks, choose Files or Browse.
  3. Long-press the first PDF, then tap the others to select them all, and tap Select or Open. If your phone only lets you pick one at a time, that’s fine: tap the box again to add the next file. Files you already added stay in the list.
  4. Use the ↑ and ↓ arrows to put the files in the order you want. The top file becomes the first pages.
  5. Tap Merge, then Download PDF. The file is saved in your Downloads folder. Open the Files app and choose Downloads to find it.

How to merge PDFs on iPhone or iPad

  1. Open Safari and go to the Merge PDF tool.
  2. Tap the box, then tap Choose Files. This opens the Files app.
  3. Tap Select (top right), tap each PDF you want, then tap Open.
  4. Put the files in order with the ↑ and ↓ arrows.
  5. Tap Merge, then Download PDF. If Safari asks, tap Download. The merged PDF appears in the Files app, in the Downloads folder.

Need to change the page order inside the PDF?

The arrows in Merge PDF move whole files. To move single pages, for example to put the back of a certificate right after the front, open the merged file in Organize PDF. Use the ◀ and ▶ buttons under each page to move it, then download the result.

Adding photos to the same PDF

If one of your documents is a photo (say, a picture of your ID card), turn it into a PDF page first with JPG to PDF, choosing A4 as the page size. Then merge it with your other PDFs as described above. Our guide on scanning documents with your phone has tips for taking photos that look like proper scans.

Save it to your home screen
In Chrome, tap the ⋮ menu and choose Add to Home screen. On iPhone, tap the Share button in Safari and choose Add to Home Screen. ToolNest then opens like an app.

Common questions

Do I need to install an app to merge PDFs?

No. The Merge PDF tool works in your phone's normal web browser, Chrome on Android or Safari on iPhone.

Does it use a lot of mobile data?

Very little. Only the web page itself is downloaded. Your PDFs are combined on your phone and are never uploaded, so their size doesn't use any data.

Is there a limit on how many PDFs I can merge?

No fixed limit. Very large files take longer on older phones, because the work happens on your device.

Why won't one of my PDFs merge?

It is probably password protected. Remove the password with the Unlock PDF tool (you need to know the password), then add the file again.