How to Merge PDFs on Mac, iPhone and Windows

“Merge two PDFs into one” sounds like it should be a one-click job — and it is, once you stop hunting for the right app. The catch is that most built-in options are different on every device, and most online options want you to upload your files first. Here’s how to combine PDFs on each platform, and one method that works the same everywhere.

On a Mac

macOS can merge PDFs in Preview: open the first PDF, show the sidebar thumbnails, then drag a second PDF’s pages into the sidebar and re-save. It works, but it’s fiddly with more than two files and easy to drop a page in the wrong place.

On Windows

Windows has no built-in PDF merger. The Microsoft Store and the web are full of apps that do it, but most are either paid, ad-heavy, or upload-based — your document goes to their server to be stitched together and comes back.

On iPhone and Android

On iPhone you can use the Files app to “Create PDF” from images, but merging existing PDFs needs the Shortcuts app or a third-party tool. Android is similar — there’s no first-party merge, so you reach for an app.

The method that works on all of them

Because a browser runs on every one of these devices, the simplest cross-platform answer is a browser-based tool. Our Merge PDF tool lets you drop in as many PDFs as you like, drag them into the order you want, and download the combined file. There’s nothing to install, and — unlike upload-based sites — the work happens in your browser, so the files never leave your Mac, phone or PC.

That last part matters when you’re combining contracts, invoices or anything personal. If you want to verify it, open your browser’s DevTools Network tab while you merge: you’ll see zero requests carrying your file. (We wrote about why that upload step is worth avoiding.)

Need to fix the order after combining, or drop a stray page? Pair it with Reorder PDF pages or do it all in one pass — same device, no upload.