Split PDF

How Split PDF works

Splitting creates new PDFs from the pages of one document. Choose Every page to get a separate PDF for each page, or Page ranges to pull out exactly the pages you need: 1-3 gives one PDF with the first three pages, 5 gives a PDF of page 5 alone, and 8- gives everything from page 8 to the end.

The pages are copied, not redrawn, so the new PDFs are as sharp as the original and their text is still selectable. The work is done by pdf-lib running in this tab, so the document never leaves your device.

When a split produces more than three files, they are delivered together in one ZIP so you do not have to click through dozens of downloads. Three or fewer arrive as separate PDFs.

Each new PDF keeps the page sizes and orientation of the original, and the files are named after the original with the page numbers added, such as report-pages-1-3.pdf, so they sort in order in any folder. Splitting works the same on a phone as on a computer. For a long scanned document, extracting only the pages you need also makes the result much smaller, which helps with email limits and upload forms that cap file sizes.

Split PDF options explained

When to use it

Splitting is the quick way to send only the relevant pages of a long document, to separate a batch of scanned forms into individual files, to pull one chapter out of a report, or to remove confidential pages before sharing the rest.

Check the page numbers in your PDF viewer first; they count from the first page of the file, which may differ from the numbers printed on the pages. To drop a page, extract the ranges on either side of it, for example 1-4, 6-.

About these PDF tools

The page tools, from merge and split to crop, resize, watermark and page numbers, use pdf-lib, an open-source JavaScript library that reads the structure of a PDF and writes a new one. Because it works on the page objects themselves rather than on pictures of them, text stays text, fonts stay embedded and vector drawings stay sharp, and nothing is added to your pages that you did not ask for. None of these tools edit what is already printed on a page: to change wording or fill a form, use a PDF editor. Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first, since the pages cannot be read without the password. Every tool works on a copy, so the file on your device is never changed.

Split PDF troubleshooting

"Pages do not exist"

A range goes past the last page. The message tells you how many pages the PDF has; shorten the range or use an open range such as 8- to mean up to the end.

Nothing happens with Page ranges

The pages box is empty. Type at least one page or range, separated by commas, such as 1-3, 5.

The file will not open

Password-protected PDFs cannot be split. Remove the password in your PDF reader, save a copy and split that instead.

How to use Split PDF, step by step

1. Press "Choose a PDF" or drag PDFs onto the box.
2. Set the options if you need to; the defaults suit most uses.
3. Press "Split PDF". The work happens on your device.
4. Save the result with its download button.

Is it safe to do this online?

With most online tools, "online" means your file is uploaded to a company's server, processed there and kept for a while before it is deleted. Here it is not. The page downloads the tool's code to your browser, and your file is read and processed inside the tab on your own device. It is never sent to TapToConvert or anyone else.

You can check this yourself: once the page and its engine have loaded, turn off Wi-Fi and the tool still works. That also means there is no queue, no daily limit and no file size cap set by a server; the only limit is the memory your browser gives a single tab.