Three ways to split
Every page. Each page becomes its own PDF. Useful for a scan of several documents in one file, like ID proof, address proof and a certificate scanned together, where each has to be uploaded separately. You can also set how many pages go in each file: 2 per file turns a scan of ID cards, front and back, into one PDF per card.
Custom ranges. Type the pieces you want, separated by commas:
| You type | You get |
|---|---|
1-3, 4-9 |
pages 1 to 3, and pages 4 to 9 |
1, 5, 9 |
three one-page PDFs |
1-2, 3- |
pages 1 and 2, then page 3 to the end |
Pages left out of every range are left out of the files. If a range doesn’t make sense, like 8-3 or page 40 of a 30-page file, the box tells you what’s wrong before you press anything.
Under a size. Parts that each stay under a limit, like 10 MB for email. That mode has its own page, Split PDF by size, with more about picking the size.
Split or extract?
Splitting gives you several files. If you want just a few pages as one new PDF, like pages 2 and 7 of a contract, Extract PDF pages is quicker: tap the pages and save. To remove a few pages and keep the rest, use Delete PDF pages.
What you download
Each file is named for what’s in it: statement-page-3.pdf or statement-pages-1-3.pdf. When there are several, they come in one .zip, so your browser downloads one thing instead of asking about twenty.
On an iPhone, open the .zip in the Files app and it unpacks into a folder. On Android, the Files app has an Extract button for it.
Quality
Splitting doesn’t re-compress anything. Each page is copied as it is, with its text, images and links, so every piece looks exactly like the same page in the original. Fonts and images that several pages share are copied into each file that needs them, which is why the pieces can add up to a little more than the original.
Putting pieces back
If you split too far, Merge PDF joins files again, and its Sort by name puts page-2 before page-10.
Checked against the tool on 22 October 2026. How we write and test these guides