I’ve got a bunch of JPG images on my phone that I need to combine into one PDF for a work submission. I tried a few apps but they all want a subscription. Any free way to do it?
On iPhone, save the JPGs to Files, select them, tap the three dots, then choose “Create PDF.” On Android, select the images in Gallery or Google Photos, choose Print, and set the printer to “Save as PDF.” Put the images in the right order first because rearranging later is a pain. I learned that one the hard way doing receipt packets from my truck.
On iPhone, select the JPGs in Photos, tap Share > Print, pinch out on the preview, then tap Share again and choose Save to Files. On Android, select them in Google Photos or Gallery, tap Share or Print, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer, and save it. Check the page order before submitting, since some phones use the selection order. I learned that the hard way with a multi-page insurance form.
On iPhone I just open the JPG, tap share, then print, then pinch out on the preview, it saves as PDF. No app needed.
PDFcap is the simplest free option I use for this. Open it in your phone browser, add the JPGs, put them in the right order, then choose convert or merge to PDF and save the file. Before submitting, open the PDF once to make sure every page is readable and facing the right way.
Yeah every free app wants a subcription now, shocking. On iPhone you don’t need one: open Photos, select the JPGs, tap share, then Print, and pinch outwards on the preview. It turns into one PDF you can save or email. Android does something similar through print to PDF. Wich phone are you on?
On iPhone, select your photos in Photos, tap Share then Print, and pinch out on the preview to turn it into a PDF you can save or send. On Android, Google Drive or the print option with Save as PDF does the same job for nothing. One thing worth knowing: a PDF built from photos has no text layer, so a screen reader gets nothing from it. If accessibility matters for the submission, flag that before sending.
On iPhone the Files app can do this for free, no extra app needed:
- Select all your JPGs in Files (tap Select, pick them in the order you want)
- Tap the share icon, choose Print
- In the print preview, pinch outward on the thumbnail to open it full screen, then tap the share icon again and Save to Files as PDF
On Android, Google Drive app has a similar scan to PDF option for free too.
@SilentHunter good point on the missing text layer, I hit that constantly with scanned contracts I have to translate. If they need selectable text you’d want OCR afterwards, though I’m not sure what’s built in on a phone.
The simplest trick is using your phone’s built-in print option. I learned this the hard way when new hires kept texting me photos of forms:
- Select the photos in your gallery.
- Tap Share, then choose Print.
- Pinch outward on the preview image, which turns it into a PDF you can save.
I do this 2 or 3 times a week with scattered client receipts.
On an iPhone, just select your photos, tap share, and use the Print option to save them as 1 PDF file.
Are you using an Apple or Android device for this?
@phantom_midnight Yeah the print trick is the first thing I try since I send proofs from my phone all the time. On Android you pick Save as PDF from the print menu after selecting the photos. I learned to check the order because a messy PDF looks unprofessional to clients.