The quickest no-install option is the private Split PDF browser tool: choose one PDF, describe which pages belong in each result, create the files, and download only the parts you need. For a recurring iPhone workflow, ScanlyGo provides selected-page and page-range splitting in the app. Apple Preview on iOS 26 can also do the job manually by duplicating the original and deleting unwanted pages from each copy.
Keep the original until every result has been checked. Splitting changes the document structure even when the visible pages look identical, so forms, bookmarks, attachments, and internal navigation deserve a separate test.
Compare ways to split a PDF on iPhone
| Option | Installation | Privacy | Page selection | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScanlyGo browser tool | None; opens in Safari or another modern browser | The PDF is processed locally and is not uploaded to ScanlyGo | Ranges and individual pages grouped into as many as 20 files | A quick split on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or desktop |
| ScanlyGo app | App Store install | Local PDF processing; limited app analytics exclude document contents | A page range or selected pages; splitting requires Premium | Recurring iPhone document work |
| Apple Preview | Built into iOS 26 | No third-party splitter; opened or saved locations may be local or cloud-backed | Duplicate the PDF, then delete pages that do not belong in each copy | An occasional built-in workaround |
Before splitting a PDF
Open the source once and confirm its page count. Write down the boundaries you need—for example, pages 1–3 as the application, 4–6 as supporting evidence, and pages 7 and 9 together as a final attachment. This prevents a small numbering mistake from sending the wrong page.
If the PDF is password-protected, unlock it first with software you trust and only when you have permission. The browser tool deliberately rejects encrypted files. Save the source in Files and keep an untouched copy until the smaller PDFs have been accepted.
Consider what lives outside the visible page. Interactive fields, bookmarks, embedded files, comments, scripts, and links can depend on document-level structures that a page extraction does not necessarily carry into each result. If any of those features matter, test them in the exact reader your recipient will use.
Method 1: Use the private Split PDF browser tool
The free browser tool works directly in Safari and other modern browsers. It accepts one standard PDF with 2–200 pages and a maximum size of 50 MB. The file contents remain on the device; ScanlyGo does not receive them.
- Open the Split PDF tool.
- Tap Select PDF and choose the source from Files.
- Wait for the browser to verify the file and report its page count.
- Enter the page groups. Use commas for pages that belong in one file and semicolons between files. For example,
1-3;4-6;7,9creates three PDFs. - Tap Create split PDF files.
- Review the page numbers shown under each result, then tap Download PDF for every file you want to keep.
- Save the downloads to Files and rename them for their purpose.
The tool permits up to 20 output files and 200 generated pages per operation. It shows downloads separately so Safari does not have to approve a burst of automatic downloads. Those links are temporary: selecting another source, reloading, or leaving the page releases them.
The requested pages are copied into new PDFs without being rasterized. Their visible content, page dimensions, orientation, and rotation are retained. Advanced document-level features are not guaranteed to survive, so review the results before deleting or sharing anything.
Method 2: Split pages in the ScanlyGo app
Use the ScanlyGo iPhone app when splitting is part of a larger local workflow. The app can extract a page range or selected pages from an unprotected PDF and save the results as new files. PDF splitting is a Premium feature.
- Open or import the PDF in ScanlyGo.
- Choose the Split PDF action.
- Select a continuous page range or enter the individual pages you need.
- Check that every page number is unique and within the document.
- Create the new PDF file or files.
- Open each result, give it a useful name, then organize or share it.
The original PDF remains available, which makes it easier to correct a range without reconstructing the document. ScanlyGo also keeps scanning, conversion, OCR search, folders, tags, favorites, protection, and sharing in the same app. Use the browser tool instead when you need one quick split without installing an app or when you are working from another device.
Method 3: Duplicate and trim the PDF in Apple Preview
Preview on iOS 26 does not need a separate PDF service. Apple documents both a Duplicate action for PDFs and a Delete Page action in the thumbnail view. Combining those two actions creates a reliable manual workaround, although Apple does not describe it as a one-command PDF splitter.
- Open the PDF in Preview.
- Tap the action menu next to the filename and choose Duplicate.
- Rename the duplicate for the part you want to keep.
- Tap the page count to show thumbnails.
- Touch and hold each unwanted thumbnail, then choose Delete Page.
- Return to the document list to save the edited copy.
- Duplicate the untouched original again and repeat for every additional part.
Apple’s current documentation explains how to duplicate a PDF in Preview and delete PDF pages. Check those instructions against the iOS version installed on the device because the Preview app and labels depend on current system software.
This method is practical for two short outputs. It becomes repetitive when a long PDF must become many parts, because every part starts as a full duplicate and unwanted pages are deleted manually. Be especially careful not to edit the only copy of the original.
Which splitting method should you choose?
Choose the browser tool for a quick, private, cross-device split with explicit page groups and no installation. Choose ScanlyGo when splitting is one step in a recurring iPhone workflow and you also need to scan, convert, search, organize, protect, or share PDFs. Choose Preview on iOS 26 when you want a built-in method and have only a small number of parts to create.
Privacy also includes the destination. Local PDF processing prevents the tool from receiving the source, but saving a result to a cloud-backed Files location or sending it through email is a separate transfer. Choose an On My iPhone folder or another destination that matches the document’s sensitivity.
Check every split PDF before sharing
Open each output and compare it with your plan. Confirm the filename, page count, first and last page, orientation, signatures, and readability. Check for a missing continuation page or a page that appears in the wrong part. If the source contains forms, bookmarks, links, or attachments, verify those features separately.
Keep the original until the recipient has accepted the smaller files. If you later need to reverse the process, follow the guide to merging PDF files on iPhone or use the private Merge PDF tool to recombine complete documents.
