# PDFs on Android: open, scan, merge, split and compress files on your phone

> Phones make documents awkward. A PDF arrives on WhatsApp, a scan is needed for a form, an assignment has to go out as one file instead of nine photos, and each job seems to want a different app. This guide walks through those jobs one at a time. Fold, the free Android app from Unique AppSites, handles all of them, so the steps below use it — but the explanations work whatever app is installed.

- App: Fold: PDF Reader & Scanner (Android, free on Google Play, contains ads)
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fold_document.app
- Opens: PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, TXT, Images

## How to
### How do you open a PDF on an Android phone?
Tap the PDF wherever it arrived — a chat, an email, or the Downloads folder — and choose a PDF reader to open it with. Android asks only the first time if you pick “always”.
1. Find the file in your chat, email or Downloads folder.
2. Tap it. Android lists the apps that can open PDFs.
3. Choose Fold, then zoom and scroll through the pages.

### How do you open Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on a phone?
The same way as a PDF: tap the file and pick an app that reads office formats. Fold opens DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX and TXT files alongside PDFs and images, so one app covers every attachment.
1. Tap the .docx, .xlsx or .pptx file you were sent.
2. Pick Fold from the list of apps.
3. Read the document; no account or sign-in is needed.

### How do you scan a document to PDF with a phone camera?
Use a scanning app rather than the plain camera: it captures each page and saves the set as one PDF, instead of leaving you with loose photos.
1. Open Fold and start a scan.
2. Photograph each page, one after another, keeping the paper flat and well lit.
3. Save the pages as a PDF, then share or keep it.

### How do you turn photos into a PDF?
Pick the images and convert them into a single PDF. This is the usual fix when an assignment or form has to be submitted as one file but exists as a handful of photos.
1. Open Fold and choose to make a PDF from images.
2. Select the photos in the order they should appear.
3. Save the result as one PDF.

### How do you merge PDF files on a phone?
Combine them in a PDF tool that runs on the phone itself, so the files never have to be uploaded to a website.
1. Open Fold and choose to merge PDFs.
2. Pick the files in the order you want.
3. Save the merged PDF.

### How do you split a PDF into separate files?
Split takes one PDF and produces several, which is how you send a single chapter instead of a book.
1. Open the PDF in Fold.
2. Choose to split it.
3. Save the parts you need.

### How do you make a PDF smaller so it can be sent?
Compressing a PDF reduces its file size so it fits an upload limit or an email attachment. Scans are usually the biggest files, because every page is a photograph.
1. Open the large PDF in Fold.
2. Choose to compress it.
3. Save the smaller copy and share that one.

### How do you find documents saved on your phone?
A document app with a file browser is faster than hunting through Downloads: it lists recent files and lets you search, rename and delete them in one place.
1. Open Fold to see recent documents.
2. Browse or search for the file you want.
3. Rename or delete the ones you no longer need.

## Questions
**Is Fold free?**
Yes. Fold is free to install from Google Play, and the listing states that the app contains ads.

**Does Fold show ads?**
Yes. The Google Play listing says the app contains ads. Unique AppSites doesn't claim the app is ad-free or that it shows fewer ads than any other app.

**Does Fold work offline?**
Documents already saved on your phone open without an internet connection, for basic reading and file management.

**Do I need an account to use Fold?**
No. The Google Play listing says no account is needed.

**Can one app replace a separate PDF reader, scanner and converter?**
Fold covers all three: reading PDFs and office files, scanning paper with the camera, and making, merging, splitting or compressing PDFs.

**Which file types can Fold open?**
PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, TXT and image files, according to the Google Play listing.

**Is Fold available for iPhone?**
No. Fold is currently listed for Android on Google Play only.

**Are my documents uploaded anywhere?**
Check the Data safety section on the Google Play listing, which is written by the developer. That section, not this page, is the authoritative statement about how data is handled.

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Source page: https://www.uniqueappsites.com/apps/fold/pdf-guide
Published by Unique AppSites (https://www.uniqueappsites.com/), the channel by Anubhav Goel. Course codes and syllabi can change. Match the material to your current university scheme before relying on it for exam preparation.