The built-in Pages app converts a document to PDF without a separate converter. Open the file, tap Share → Export and Send → PDF, choose any needed Layout Options, tap Export, and select where to save or send the new PDF. Your original Pages document remains unchanged.
Convert a Pages document to PDF on iPhone or iPad
Apple treats conversion as an export: you export the Pages document in the new format. The PDF is a separate copy, so editing or sharing it does not alter the original Pages file.
- Open Pages. Launch Pages on your iPhone or iPad and open the document you want to convert.
- Open the sharing menu. Tap the Share button in the toolbar.
- Choose the export command. Tap Export and Send.
- Select PDF. Tap PDF from the available formats.
- Review Layout Options. Decide whether comments or smart annotations should be included. Turn on the corresponding controls if they need to appear in the PDF.
- Create the PDF. Tap Export in the top-right corner.
- Choose a destination. Use the share sheet to save the PDF in Files or iCloud Drive, or send it through AirDrop, Mail, Messages, Notes, or another installed service.
The exact destinations shown depend on the apps and services installed on your device. If you save to Files, select a folder and tap Save when that control appears.
What the export settings change
Comments and smart annotations
Comments and smart annotations are optional. Pages exposes their controls under Layout Options before the export is created. Enable the relevant option if the recipient needs to see review notes or annotations; leave it off for a clean document copy.
#1 Best Overall
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Images, drawings, audio and video descriptions
Accessibility descriptions attached to images, drawings, audio, or video are automatically exported to PDF. You do not need to copy those descriptions manually.
Password-protected Pages files
If the original Pages document is password-protected, Apple says that password protection applies to exported PDF and Word copies as well. Keep the password available for anyone who must open the exported PDF.
Fixed layout versus an editable source
A PDF is a fixed-layout sharing format. Keep the original Pages document when you or someone else may need to continue editing text, images, tables, or page design. Exporting does not create a second editable Pages version; it creates a PDF copy.
Where to save or send the PDF
| Destination | Best use | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Files or iCloud Drive | Keep an accessible copy in a folder | Choose a location from the Files picker and save the PDF. |
| AirDrop | Send to a nearby Apple device | The receiving device must be available to AirDrop. |
| Email the document | Pages attaches the exported PDF to a new message. | |
| Messages | Share in a conversation | The PDF is added to the selected message thread. |
| Notes | Keep the PDF with notes or project material | Save it to a note using the Notes share extension. |
| Other installed services | Use a cloud drive or workflow app | Only services installed and enabled on the device appear in the share sheet. |
How to include or exclude review notes
- Follow Share → Export and Send → PDF.
- Before exporting, inspect Layout Options.
- Turn on the comments option when comments must be visible.
- Turn on the smart-annotations option when those annotations must be visible.
- Tap Export and choose the destination.
If neither option is enabled, the PDF follows the standard document layout without those optional review elements. Make this choice before tapping Export; changing the Pages document afterward does not modify a PDF that was already created.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #2
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
iPhone and iPad compared with Mac
The iPhone and iPad workflow is useful when the source file is already on the mobile device. Pages on Mac also exports to PDF through its export menu, and Apple lists PDF alongside Word, plain text, EPUB, and Pages ’09 as available formats.
| Consideration | iPhone or iPad | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Menu path | Share → Export and Send → PDF | Use Pages’ export menu and choose PDF. |
| Source location | Convenient when the document is stored on the phone or tablet | Convenient when the source is already on the computer. |
| Delivery options | Uses the iOS/iPadOS share sheet, including Files, AirDrop, Mail, Messages, Notes, and installed services | Uses the Mac’s available save and sharing destinations. |
| Comments and annotations | Choose their inclusion in Layout Options before export | Use the options offered by the Mac export flow. |
Both platforms produce a PDF export. Choose the device that already has the document and the destination you need.
Troubleshooting common export problems
“Export and Send” is not visible
Make sure a document is open in Pages and that you tapped the toolbar’s Share button, not a system-level share control from another app. The conversion command is inside Pages’ document sharing menu.
The PDF is missing comments or smart annotations
Return to the export flow and open Layout Options. Enable the specific comments or smart-annotations control before tapping Export. A PDF created earlier will not gain those items automatically.
Rank #3
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
I cannot find the saved file
Check the destination selected in the share sheet. If you used Files, look in the folder chosen during saving, including iCloud Drive or the selected local location. If you sent it to another app, open that app rather than Files.
A recipient cannot open the PDF
Confirm that the export completed and that the recipient received the PDF attachment or shared file, rather than the original Pages document. If the source was password-protected, provide the same password required for the exported PDF.
The PDF still shows an old version
Export again after making the latest edits. Each export is a separate copy; changes made to the Pages document after an earlier export do not update that earlier PDF.
The share sheet has fewer destinations than expected
Available destinations depend on installed and enabled apps and services. Install or enable the service you want, or save to Files first and move the PDF from there.
Rank #4
- WHY IPAD PRO — iPad Pro with the Apple M5 chip delivers extraordinary performance for effortless productivity on a stunning display. Take on pro workflows with Neural Accelerators for AI and a redesigned iPadOS with game-changing capabilities.*
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — iPad Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and the power of on-device AI to all your tasks.* Featuring up to 2TB of storage, 16GB of memory, and Neural Accelerators for next-level AI performance.*
- IPADOS — Run pro apps and get more done with iPadOS 26 with Liquid Glass design and game-changing capabilities.* With an intuitive and flexible windowing system, you can control, organize, and manage your workflows like never before.
- APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you communicate, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- 11-INCH ULTRA RETINA XDR DISPLAY — The world’s most advanced display, featuring extreme brightness, precise contrast, ProMotion, P3 wide color, and True Tone.* Nano-texture display glass available in 1TB and 2TB configurations
Quality and workflow checks before sending
- Open the exported PDF once to verify that the intended document was selected.
- Check page breaks, tables, images, and drawings at the places where a fixed-layout PDF matters.
- Confirm whether comments and smart annotations should be visible, then export again if necessary.
- Use a descriptive filename and save a copy in Files or iCloud Drive before sharing when the document is important.
- Keep the original Pages file for future edits.
- If the file is password-protected, tell authorized recipients how they will obtain the password.
What this method does—and does not—require
This is an export inside Apple Pages, not a separate converter purchase or a browser upload. It works entirely on the iPhone or iPad for documents available in Pages. The resulting PDF is intended for fixed-layout sharing, while the Pages file remains the editable source.
Or skip the browser setup:
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API, not a Pages-to-PDF converter. Use it when you need a PDF or image of a web page rather than an export of a Pages document. One GET request can capture a URL, and the service can return PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Its clean-capture steps accept cookie or consent banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot; each step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. ScreenshotNeo also provides an MCP server for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools.
For a web page capture, the cURL request is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for the API options. Features include full-page captures with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element captures, dark mode, device presets, custom viewports and retina scale, PDF paper and margin controls, custom CSS and JavaScript, click-before-capture actions, hidden selectors, selector/delay/network-idle waits, request and resource blocking, custom headers, cookies, user agents and Authorization, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, image resizing, selectable cache TTLs, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture for up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API, an OpenAPI specification, and compatibility with parameter names used by other screenshot APIs.
Plans include 1,000 screenshots per month free with no card, Starter at $5 for 3,000, Growth at $15 for 15,000, Pro at $39 for 60,000, Scale at $99 for 250,000, and Business at $249 for 1,000,000. Yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is on every plan. If you need webpage captures in addition to your Pages export, sign up for the free plan.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert a Pages document without installing another app?
Yes. Pages includes the export flow, so you can create the PDF from the open document and then save or share it through the system share sheet.
Best Value
- Smart Connector. 3.5 mm headphone jack. Stereo speakers. On/Off - Sleep/Wake. Home/Touch ID sensor. Dual microphones. Volume up/down. Nano-SIM tray (cellular models). Lightning connector
- A10 Fusion chip.
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor,
- 8MP back camera, 1. 2MP FaceTime HD front camera.
- Stereo speakers.
Does exporting to PDF delete or replace my Pages file?
No. The export creates a separate PDF copy; the original Pages document remains available for editing.
Can someone edit the PDF like a Pages document?
The PDF preserves a fixed layout. Keep and share the original Pages file when continued document editing is required.
Why are some sharing apps missing from my iPhone or iPad?
The share sheet lists destinations provided by installed and enabled apps and services. The available list therefore varies by device.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesQuick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
