You can convert a PDF to JPG on your iPhone instantly and for free — without downloading any sketchy apps or using any slow and confusing websites. This feature works using Shortcuts, a versatile automation system built into your iPhone.
After you download the shortcut, you can convert any PDF into a JPG straight from the share sheet on your iPhone. Watch the video or keep reading below to see how it works.
Convert PDF to JPG from your iPhone with this Shortcut
Shortcuts are custom automation tools that run on your iPhone. Running a shortcut is as simple as pressing a button (in a widget or from the share sheet) but they are incredibly powerful. A shortcut can tap into apps and perform all kinds of actions. You can make them in the Shortcuts app, share them or download them.
Shortcuts come with a bunch of built-in tools for converting image formats, including PDF to JPG. But you don’t need to make a shortcut yourself — follow the directions below to learn how to use the Convert Image shortcut I already made.
Table of contents: Convert PDF to JPG from your iPhone with this Shortcut
- Download the Convert Image shortcut
- Convert a PDF to JPG from the share sheet
- Find the JPG in your photo library
- Run the same shortcut on your Mac
- Convert other image formats
Download the Convert Image shortcut
I made a shortcut that lets you convert PDFs into JPGs. Click this link to download the shortcut and tap Add Shortcut. That’s all you need to add it to your library. (If you’re curious, you can tap ⋯ in the corner to see what it does and exactly how it works before you use it.)
The shortcut should say “Appears in Share Sheet” and “Appears in Quick Actions on Mac” before you add it. If (for whatever reason) it doesn’t, you can fix that yourself after you tap Add Shortcut. Tap the ⋯ in the corner to edit the shortcut. Tap the ⓘ in the bottom toolbar and make sure Show in Share Sheet is enabled.
Convert a PDF to JPG from the share sheet
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Once you download the shortcut, you can run it from anywhere you see the share button. Tap Share, then tap Convert Image and select JPG. (The first time it runs, tap Always Allow to let it save images to your photo library going forward.)
You can run the shortcut from Apple Mail by previewing a PDF file attachment. It works from Safari as well, and even the Files app.
Third-party apps like Google Drive and Gmail try to hide the system share sheet, but you can find it if you dig for it. In Google Drive, for example, tap the ⋯ menu in the corner and tap Send a copy to find your iPhone’s share sheet.
If you think you will use the shortcut to convert PDFs to JPGs frequently, you can rearrange the items in the share sheet to make it more easily accessible. Scroll to the bottom, tap Edit Actions… and tap + Convert Image to bump it up to the top of the list.
Find the JPG in your photo library
After you convert the PDF to a JPG, you’ll find the JPG in your photo library. Open Photos and it’ll be the most recent image in your camera roll. If it was a multipage PDF, each page will be exported as a separate image, in order.
If you don’t see the JPG in the bottom-right of your camera roll, you may also tap the first option in the Recent Days section. It’ll appear along other images added to your camera roll today.
Run the same shortcut to convert PDF to JPG on your Mac
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Shortcuts added to your iPhone will show up automatically on your Mac if you’re signed into both devices with the same Apple Account and you have enabled iCloud Sync. Then you can run the PDF-to-JPF shortcut on your Mac as well. In the Finder, just right-click on any PDF file and select Quick Actions > Convert Image.
Pick an option from the menu and click Done. After a moment, it’ll ask you where you want to save the image(s). Browse for a location and click Open.
(If you don’t add the Convert Image shortcut to your iPhone first, or you don’t have the Shortcuts app set to iCloud Sync, you can download the shortcut to your Mac. Then click Get Shortcut and Add Shortcut.)
Convert other image formats
You can use this shortcut to convert other file formats, too — if you didn’t already piece that together from the other visible options of GIF and PNG.
GIF is an animated image format. It’s not very modern nor space-efficient, but it’s the universal format for looping animations. You can use Convert Image to convert a short video (or a Live Photo) into a GIF.
PNG is a modern image format commonly used for online graphics. PNG is lossless, which means it perfectly preserves every pixel in the image. It also supports transparency, so you can easily overlay a PNG on top of another image without cutting out a background. You can use Convert Image to convert odd graphics formats like SVG, Illustrator or PDF vectors into PNG files.
More iPhone tips
Here are a few more tips on handling files and images on your iPhone:
