How to compress a PDF on iPhone

How to compress a PDF on iPhone with Scanfone

1. Open the PDF in Scanfone: import it from Files or Mail, or scan a new document.
2. Open the compress PDF tool.
3. Compress the document.
4. Check that the pages are still easy to read.
5. Save and share the smaller PDF, or save it to Files.

Why scanned PDFs get so big

A scanned page is a photo, and modern iPhone cameras take detailed photos. Ten colour pages of a contract can add up quickly, and then the email bounces or the upload form says no. Text-only PDFs exported from a word processor are usually small; scans and photo-heavy PDFs are the ones that balloon.

Compressing reduces the size of the images inside the PDF, so the file gets smaller while the text stays readable.

Compress a PDF step by step

1. Open the PDF in Scanfone. Import it from Files, Mail or any app's share sheet, or scan the paper document.
2. Choose compress PDF.
3. Compress. It runs on your phone; nothing is uploaded.
4. Check the result. Zoom in on small print and numbers to make sure they are still clear.
5. Save and send. Share the smaller file by Mail or Messages, upload it, or save it to Files.

Make it smaller from the start

The best compression is not creating a huge file in the first place. A few scanning habits help:

• Use Black & white or Gray for text-only pages. They are usually much lighter than full colour.
• Delete pages you do not need, like blank backs of single-sided letters.
• Split long documents and send only the relevant pages with split PDF.
• Keep Color for pages where it matters, such as ID copies, photos or stamped receipts.

Size versus quality

Compression is a trade-off. Squeeze too hard and small print gets fuzzy. For forms, letters and contracts, a compressed file is usually perfectly readable. For anything with fine detail, such as a technical drawing or a photo, check the result before you send it, and hang on to the original in case the reader asks for a sharper copy.

Common reasons to compress

• Email attachment limits.
• Upload portals for job, visa, school or rental applications that cap file size.
• Sending documents over messaging apps on a slow connection.
• Saving space on your phone when you keep lots of scans.
• After merging PDFs into one large file.

Private, on your phone

Online PDF compressors usually want your file on their servers first. In Scanfone, compression happens on your iPhone and nothing is uploaded unless you turn on Pro sync. There are no ads, no tracking and no analytics. See our privacy policy.

What it costs

Compressing is free and unlimited, like scanning, saving, OCR and the other PDF tools. We do not hold the smaller file hostage behind a subscription screen. Free PDFs carry one small "Scanned free with Scanfone" line under each page, with no watermark over the content. Scanfone Pro removes that line and adds sync and 1 TB cloud backup for $2.99 the first year, then $19.99 a year. No weekly plans. See pricing.

Still too big?

If a compressed PDF is still over the limit, combine approaches: re-scan text pages with the Black & white filter, remove pages the recipient did not ask for, or split the document into two files and send them separately. Many upload portals also accept several smaller files, so check whether one big file is really required.

And if the portal wants a picture instead of a PDF, PDF to JPG turns pages into images you can upload one by one.

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