Here’s what each device can do with its built-in features:
The free Adobe Acrobat Reader has no merge feature. Merging in Acrobat needs paid Acrobat Pro, and Adobe’s online tool uploads your files to its servers.
Merging options by device
| Device | Built-in option | Set the order | Pick pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | None | – | – |
| Mac | Preview | Yes | Yes (delete unwanted pages) |
| iPhone / iPad | Files app “Create PDF” | Follows the file list | No |
| Android | None | – | – |
| Our Merge PDF tool | Works in any browser | Yes | Yes |
Merging on Windows or Android
Windows and Android have no built-in way to merge PDFs. You can install software or an app, but a browser tool works right away with nothing to install.
- Open Merge PDF in your browser
- Tap “Select PDF files” and choose two or more PDFs
- Press and hold a file (or drag it on a computer) to put the files in order
- If needed, open “Choose pages to use” and enter pages for each file (e.g. 1-3, 5)
- Tap “Merge PDFs”, check the preview and download
Our Merge PDF tool never uploads your files; it merges them on your device. Pages are copied as they are, so quality doesn’t change and text, including Japanese, stays selectable and searchable.
Merging in Preview on a Mac
On a Mac, you can merge with the built-in Preview app:
- Open the first PDF in Preview
- Choose View → Thumbnails to show the page list on the left
- Drag the second PDF from Finder into the thumbnail list where you want it
- Choose File → Export as PDF to save it as a new file
To avoid changing the original, duplicate the first PDF before you start.
Merging in the Files app on iPhone and iPad
On iPhone and iPad, select several PDFs in the Files app, tap “…” and choose “Create PDF” to combine them.
It’s quick, but the order follows the file list and you can’t pick pages. To set the order or use only some pages, open our Merge PDF tool in Safari; it works the same way as on a computer.
Before you merge
Password-protected PDFs can’t be merged
Remove the password or editing restrictions first with Unlock PDF.
Convert photos and Word files first
Only PDFs can be merged. Turn photos into a PDF with JPG & PNG to PDF, and Word files with Word to PDF, then merge them.
Check the file size
Merging several scanned PDFs makes a large file. Japanese online applications often have strict upload limits, so compress the merged PDF to fit.
Tidying up after merging
Use Reorder PDF Pages to change the page order, Delete PDF Pages to remove pages you don’t need, and Rotate PDF to fix sideways pages.