How to convert a PDF to JPG on a phone
Turn PDF pages into images on an iPhone or Android phone, without installing an app. Which resolution to pick and when PNG is the better choice.
Messaging apps, social networks and many forms want images, not PDFs. A ticket, a flyer, a page of a contract or a slide often needs to become a picture and on a phone the usual advice is to install an app for it. You don’t need one.
In your phone’s browser
Open PDF to JPG in Safari or Chrome, tap to choose the PDF from your files and each page is rendered as an image. Tap a page to download it on its own or download all of them together as a zip. It runs in the browser on the phone itself, so the document isn’t uploaded anywhere, which matters for tickets with barcodes, statements and anything with your details on it.
On an iPhone, downloads land in the Files app, in Downloads; open one and use the share button to save it to Photos. On Android they go to the Downloads folder.
Choosing a resolution
- 150 DPI is the right default for chats, posts and slides.
- 300 DPI for printing or for pages with small print you want to zoom into.
- 72 DPI renders the page at its nominal size, which on a phone is usually too small.
Higher resolutions take longer and make larger files, which matters on mobile data.
JPG or PNG
JPG suits pages that are mostly photos. For pages of text, tables and diagrams, PNG keeps the edges crisp and is often smaller; PDF to PNG does the same job in that format.
Only one page
For a long document where you need a single page, take that page out first with how to extract pages from a PDF, then convert it. And if what you want is a photo that appears inside the PDF rather than a picture of a whole page, how to get images out of a PDF gets the original file.
Screenshots versus conversion
A screenshot of the PDF works in a pinch, but it captures your screen’s resolution, the zoom you happened to use and the app around the page. Converting gives a clean image of exactly one page at the resolution you chose.
Common questions
Can I do this without installing an app?
Yes. The PDF to JPG tool runs in Safari, Chrome or any other phone browser. Open the page, choose the PDF from your files and download the images.
Where do the images go on my phone?
Downloads go to the Files app on an iPhone, in the Downloads folder and to the Downloads folder on Android. From there you can save individual images to your photos or share them.
What resolution should I choose?
150 DPI for sharing in chats, social media and slides. 300 DPI if the image will be printed or you need to zoom into small text. 72 DPI is usually too small to read on a phone.
Can I convert just one page?
Every page is rendered and each one can be downloaded on its own by tapping it. For a long document, split out the page you need first so only that page is rendered.