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How to convert photos to PDF on Android

By DeckleUpdated

To convert photos to PDF on Android, open JPG to PDF in Chrome, tap Select files and choose the photos, put them in order, choose Fit inside A4 and tap Create PDF. Each photo becomes one page of a new PDF, placed without re-compression. Your photos are not changed. To photograph a paper document straight into a PDF, Google's scanning tools are an alternative; see below.

JPG to PDF
Illustrated document pages containing a chart, photograph and text.
Illustration · a document can contain more than its visible pages.

How to convert photos to PDF on Android with Deckle

  1. Open JPG to PDF in Chrome, or another browser.
  2. Tap Select files and choose the JPG photos from your gallery or file manager.
  3. Under Images to include, check the ticks and use the up and down arrows to set the page order.
  4. Tap the rotate button on any photo that is on its side. Preview on a row shows it on its page.
  5. Under Page size, choose Fit inside A4, then pick Portrait or Landscape and a margin under Margin in points.
  6. Optional: set Output PDF name. Several photos become images.pdf if you leave it blank.
  7. Tap Create PDF and download the file.

The result screen confirms how many pages were created from how many images, one page per ticked photo.

Photo size limits on Android

Deckle keeps up to 16 megapixels per page on most Android phones. In Chrome, a phone that reports 2 GB of memory or less gets a 4-megapixel limit instead. A larger photo is scaled down to the limit with its proportions kept, and the review lists each photo that will be scaled, and to what, before you choose Create PDF. The page size does not change; only the embedded photo has fewer pixels.

There is also a ceiling above which a photo is refused before you start, with the file named on the disabled button: 64 megapixels on most phones, and 25 megapixels on phones with 2 GB of memory or less. A standard 12-megapixel photo fits as it is. A 50-megapixel photo from a high-resolution mode is scaled to 16 megapixels on most phones. A 108-megapixel photo is refused everywhere; switch the camera back to its standard mode for document photos, or shrink the photo first.

Photo Result
Standard camera photo (around 12 MP) Converts unchanged on most phones
High-resolution mode (50 MP) Scaled to 16 MP on most phones; refused on phones with 2 GB of memory or less
High-resolution mode (108 MP) Refused; retake in standard mode
Screenshot Converts; use PNG to PDF for PNG screenshots

Quality and location data

JPG to PDF copies each JPEG within the limit into the PDF byte for byte, so there is no quality loss and the PDF is about the size of the photos combined. A photo that is scaled down is re-saved as a high-quality JPEG (quality 90) instead. The camera's orientation tag is applied either way, so portrait photos stay upright.

When a photo is copied unchanged, its EXIF data, including GPS location, goes into the PDF too. A scaled photo is re-saved without its EXIF data. If the PDF will be shared, turn off location tagging in the camera for document photos, or remove location from the photos first. For receipts and similar documents, see how to turn receipt photos into a PDF.

Scan straight to PDF with Google's apps

If the document is on paper in front of you, a scanning app can capture it straight into a PDF:

  • Files by Google. Google's page How to scan documents with Files by Google describes tapping Scan, adjusting each page with Crop and rotate, Filter or Clean, adding or deleting pages, and tapping Done. Scans are saved as PDFs in Documents > Scanned.
  • Google Drive. Scan documents with Google Drive covers tapping Camera, capturing the page, then choosing a name, the PDF format and a location before you save.

Scanning apps crop and flatten the page as you capture it. JPG to PDF is the tool for photos you have already taken, and keeps each one exactly as it was.

Tips

  • Choose Fit inside A4 for documents. Every page comes out a standard size, ready to print or upload.
  • Check the order. Deckle doesn't sort photos by date or name, so set the order in the list before you create the PDF.
  • Combine with other PDFs afterwards. Merge the photo PDF with forms or letters in Merge PDFs; see how to merge PDF files on Android.
  • Text in photos isn't searchable. Each page holds a picture of the document.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert a JPG to PDF on my phone?

Open JPG to PDF in your phone's browser, choose the photos and tap Create PDF.

Does converting reduce photo quality?

No. The JPEG data is placed in the PDF unchanged.

Are my photos uploaded?

No. The PDF is built in the browser on your phone.

Why was my photo refused?

It is over 64 megapixels, or 25 megapixels on a phone with 2 GB of memory or less, usually because it was taken in a high-resolution mode. Retake it in standard mode, or make a smaller copy first. A photo between 25 and 64 megapixels converts on a computer.

Related tools

Sources