How to Extract Pages from a PDF (Free, No Software Needed)

To extract pages from a PDF, open it in a tool that lets you pick pages and save them as a new file. Chrome's Save as PDF, Mac Preview, the iPhone Files app and Android's print menu all do this free. Filo's Split PDF does it in your browser, with no upload and no account.

Say a client signs a 20-page service agreement and sends it back. Your accountant only needs page 1 and the signature pages. Sending all 20 pages means a bigger attachment and more of the deal on someone else's screen.

Key Takeaways

• Extracting copies of pages. You get a new, shorter PDF. The original file stays whole.
• Chrome and Edge print the pages you type. Enter 1, 19-20 and save. Because this makes a printed copy, links and fillable fields may not carry over.
• Mac Preview is the fastest desktop route. Drag page thumbnails to the desktop and Preview makes a new PDF.
• Android's print route has limits. Some phones take one page range per save, and the new file can stay as large as the original.
• Online tools upload your file. iLovePDF and Smallpdf process it on their servers. Filo's Split PDF runs in your browser, so the PDF is not uploaded.
• Filo's free limits. The web tool gives 3 free conversions, and free web files carry a small Filo mark. The app is free for life, with no daily limit and no mark.

Free tool: Split PDF, runs in your browser, nothing uploaded, no account needed.

Extract, Split or Delete: Which One You Need

Extracting means picking the pages you want and saving them as a new PDF. Splitting cuts one PDF into several files, such as one file per page. Deleting removes pages you don't want from a copy.

All three give you a shorter file. The difference is whether you name the pages to keep or the pages to drop. If you know what to throw away, our guide to deleting pages from a PDF is the faster read.

None of the methods below change your original file. Preview, for example, copies the pages you drag out and leaves them in the source PDF.

Which method to use

How to Extract Pages from a PDF on iPhone

The iPhone has no Extract button, but the print screen can save chosen pages as a new PDF. MacMost shows this Print → Share → Save to Files flow works in any app that can print.

1. Open the PDF in the Files app.
2. Tap the Share icon, then Print.
3. Choose your pages. Set a Range, or untick the page previews you don't need.
4. Tap the Share icon at the top of the print options.
5. Tap Save to Files, pick a folder and tap Save.

Apple has moved these print controls between iOS versions, so labels may differ slightly on your phone. 

How to Extract Pages from a PDF on Android

Android's built-in print service can save selected pages as a PDF. Adobe lists the same steps for most PDF viewers.

1. Open the PDF in your viewer, such as Google Drive or Files by Google.
2. Tap the three-dot menu, then Print.
3. Set the printer to Save as PDF.
4. Tap the arrow under the paper size and change Pages from All to a range.
5. Type the pages you want, then tap the PDF download icon and save.

Two limits are worth knowing. On some phones you can only enter one continuous range, so pages 1 and 19 need two saves. One user on Adobe's community forum also found the new file stayed the same size as the original, even with one page selected.

Filo's Split PDF takes a single page, a range or several separate pages in one pass. It runs in your phone's browser, and nothing is uploaded.

How to Extract Pages on Windows, Mac or Chromebook (Chrome or Edge)

Chrome and Edge can open any PDF and print only the pages you name into a new file. Google documents this in its Chrome Help print guide.

1. Open the PDF in Chrome or Edge.
2. Press Ctrl+P (Windows, Chromebook, Linux) or Cmd+P (Mac).
3. Set Destination to Save as PDF.
4. Under Pages, choose Custom and type the pages to keep, such as 1, 19-20.
5. Click Save.

Commas and hyphens combine, so 8-15, 17-30 saves both ranges in one file. The result is a printed copy, so links and form fields may not carry over.

Mac: Preview

Preview copies pages without printing them. Apple Support confirms you can create a new PDF by dragging thumbnails from the sidebar to the desktop.

1. Open the PDF in Preview and choose View > Thumbnails.
2. Click a page. Shift-click for a run of pages, or Command-click for separate ones.
3. Drag the selected thumbnails to your desktop.

The new file keeps the original name with "(dragged)" added. Your original PDF still holds every page.

How to Extract Pages from a PDF in Filo (Free, No Account)

Filo's Split PDF tool works in any current browser on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac. Nothing to install.

1. Open the tool. Go to the Split PDF page in your browser.
2. Add your PDF. Browse, drop the file on the page, or paste it. The tool takes one file at a time.
3. Pick the pages. Choose a single page, a range, or several separate pages.
4. Download. Save the selected pages as a new, standalone PDF. Your original stays untouched.

The whole job takes well under a minute. Filo processes the PDF in your browser, so the file stays on your device, and you never create an account. The web tool gives 3 free conversions, and free web output carries a small Filo mark.

If you pull pages from contracts or invoices every week, the Filo app is the better fit. It is free for life, supported by ads, with no daily limit and no mark. It adds camera scanning, and many tools work offline. Filo has a 4.8 rating and 100K+ downloads.

Where Your PDF Goes: Filo vs. iLovePDF, Smallpdf and Adobe

The biggest difference between page extractors is where your file is processed. Contracts, IDs and bank statements are the files you may not want on someone else's server.

Checked November 2026 against each service's public pages.

iLovePDF is a capable tool. Its "Extract all pages" mode turns every page into its own PDF in one step, and it imports from Google Drive and Dropbox. On a fast connection with a small file, the speed gap is small.

Free on iOS and Android. No account to create, and the web tool doesn't upload your file.

Conclusion

For a one-off job, Chrome's Save as PDF or Mac Preview is enough. On a phone, or when you'd rather not upload a signed contract, use Filo's Split PDF in your browser. For repeat work, the Filo app is free for life, needs no account, and has no daily limit.

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