How to convert your photos to PDF on iPhone and iPad

Check out four free solutions to convert image files (JPEG, PNG, HEIF, GIF, etc.) into PDF documents on your iPhone or iPad.

Illustration showing photo to PDF conversion

Sharing photos in the PDF format is convenient as PDFs are widely supported across platforms. You’ll also need to create a PDF from a bunch of photographs when interacting with institutions that require PDF. For example, things like filling insurance claims or submitting school assignments.

Saving photos in a PDF also ensures no one can view their metadata while chat apps won’t be able to compress images sent as PDFs, which reduces quality. Saving photos in a universal format like PDF is also great for keepsake. Follow along as we show you different methods to combine one or more images into a PDF file on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Photos to PDF Converter (the best way)

Native apps offer much more flexibility and customizability than the other methods. A dedicated app may let you customize the photo grid and add margins. As we couldn’t find a great app for this task, we developed our own. Introducing Photos to PDF Converter, which works offline and lets you customize the layout of your images. Open the app and tap the plus sign (+), then select the photos you want to covert into PDF and tap Next.

Selecting photos in Photos to PDF Converter app on iPhone

Choose between built-in layouts, then adjust options like document size, the number of images per page, margin around the photos, and portrait or landscape orientation. Hit Preview PDF to see how your PDF will look like, then go back to make adjustments, if needed. When finished, tap the Share PDF button to send your PDF to apps, websites, or people.

Setting preference for photo to PDF conversion on iPhone

Choose the Save to Files option to save the PDF to your device, iCloud Drive or compatible cloud storage services.

Saving photo PDF to iOS Files app

2. Apple Books

The built-in Apple Books app can convert a selection of photos into a PDF, with each image taking up a whole page. Open the Photos app and select some images, then hit the share icon and choose the Books app.

Sharing photos with Books app on iPhone

Tap your PDF in the Books app to open it or hit the three-dotted icon below and choose Share PDF to share it or save it to the Files app instead.

Sharing PDF from iPhone Books app

3. The Print menu

The Print menu trick will create a PDF with one image on each page, even if you don’t have a printer. Like with the Apple Books method, you don’t get any customization options. First, select pictures in the Photos app and then hit the share icon and choose the Print option.

Selecting photos on iPhone and tapping Print in Share Sheet

You’ll see a document thumbnail along with some printing options. Pinch to zoom in on the thumbnail, which will create a PDF. You can swipe page thumbnails at the bottom to check everything looks good. If so, hit the share icon to save your newly created PDF.

Using print trick to convert photo to PDF on iPhone

4. Files app

The previous methods assume images for your PDF are stored in the Photos app. But if you keep images in the Files app or compatible cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox, navigate to them in the Files app, hit the ellipsis menu in the top-right corner, choose Select, and mark the photos you want to save as a PDF. Then, hit the ellipsis menu again and choose Create PDF.

Using Apple Files app to convert photos to PDF on iPhone

The app will save your PDF in the same folder as the images. Tap the PDF to open it. If everything looks good, hit the share menu to share or save the document.

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