How to scan multiple pages into one PDF
To scan multiple pages into one PDF, capture every page in the same scanning session before finishing. On iPhone, Files includes a document scanner: keep adding pages, tap Done, then choose a location and Save. Check the saved file for missing pages and the correct order before sending it.
A contract with six pages should arrive as one complete file. Decide the reading order before you start, and keep the scanner open until every page has been captured.
Scan several pages in Files on iPhone
Follow Apple's Files scanning instructions, keeping all the pages in one session:
- Open Files, tap More, then Scan Documents.
- Capture the first page. If the scanner needs help, use the shutter and adjust the corners.
- Replace it with the next page and continue scanning. For double-sided sheets, capture each back immediately after its front.
- After the final page, tap Done. Choose a folder and tap Save.
- Open the saved PDF. Count its pages and check that the first and last are the ones you expected.
Use a name that identifies the whole document, such as `Apartment lease 2026`, rather than the first page alone.
Choose the workflow for what you already have
| Starting point | Useful next step |
|---|---|
| Several sheets of one paper document | Capture them in one scanner session. |
| Photos already taken of the pages | Correct the existing document photos, or convert the pictures to PDF if they are already clear. |
| Separate PDFs that need to become one submission | Use the PDF joining tool, then inspect the combined file. |
| An ID with two sides | See scanning ID cards on iPhone; a recipient may want two PDF pages or both sides on one sheet. |
Scanners and PDF joining tools solve different starting problems. Capturing a document's pages together avoids producing a separate file for every sheet. Joining is useful when those separate files already exist.
Keep every page readable
Put the stack in order and remove staples if you can do so without damaging the document. Use a flat surface that contrasts with the paper. Keep your phone above the page, with the entire sheet visible and light coming from a direction that avoids your phone's shadow.
Before moving on, inspect small print, signatures and text near the edges. If a page is blurred or cut off, capture it again while the paper is still in front of you. A smaller PDF is useful only if its contents remain readable.
For double-sided documents, follow the printed page numbers. A blank back does not need to become a page unless the recipient asks for a complete reproduction, including blank pages.
Scan and keep the document in Dokus
Use Dokus when you want the finished document in the same place as the other files you are often asked for:
- Open the add options and choose the camera scan.
- Capture each page in reading order. Open the page thumbnail to review your captures; use Adjust for an edge or rotation correction, or delete a page that needs another capture.
- Return to the camera and tap Save when the set is complete.
- Choose One document when the import offers that choice, review the pages, and continue to give the document a name.
- Save it, then open it and check the complete result before sharing.
Dokus keeps the document locally, protected by Face ID or Touch ID, with optional sync through your own iCloud. Scanning one document with several pages is available on the free tier, within its five-document limit for new installations. Combining several already stored documents into a shared PDF is a separate Dokus Plus feature.
When the file is too large
Check the recipient's file-size limit after saving. Keep your full document and prepare a smaller copy for the upload. The PDF compression tool processes a copy in your browser; inspect its small text before submitting it. In Dokus, compression is available in the share editor.
Before you send
- Check the number of pages against the original.
- Read through in order, including the backs of double-sided sheets.
- Look for missing edges, repeated pages and unreadable small text.
- Open the actual PDF you are about to send, not just its thumbnail.
- Confirm that the file fits the recipient's size and format requirements.
Keep the checked document in Dokus so the next request starts with the complete file already on your iPhone.
Common questions
Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF on iPhone for free?
Yes. Files includes a document scanner. Capture the pages in the same session, tap Done, choose a location and save the result. Notes also lets you add scans to the same document.
How do I scan a double-sided document?
Capture the front of the first sheet, then its back, before moving to the next sheet. Check the original page numbers and the saved PDF's order before sending it.
Is scanning several pages the same as merging PDFs?
Scanning captures paper pages into a file. Merging joins files that already exist. You can avoid a separate merging step by capturing all the pages of one document in the same scanning session.
Does a multipage scan count as several documents in Dokus?
When you save the pages as One document, they form one document in your wallet. The free tier supports five documents for new installations. Sharing several separately stored documents as one PDF requires Dokus Plus.
Why did I get separate files instead of one PDF?
You may have finished the scanner after each page or chosen to keep the captures as separate documents. Capture the pages together and choose the one-document option where your app offers it.