How to turn a Word file to PDF on iPad

You need to urgently send a business document via email: it is a Word file, which you would like to convert to PDF, in order to avoid accidental changes to its content. On the PC you have several programs that allow you to do this, but now you don’t know how to get out of the impasse because you only have the iPad at hand and none of the apps installed on the device seem to be suitable for the purpose. Well, I don’t see where the problem is: follow the instructions contained in this guide and that’s it.

In fact, if you take a few minutes for me, I can show you, in a simple but not for that little detailed way, how to transform a Word file into PDF on iPad. I’ll tell you right away that you can do it by resorting to the use of special system functions (yes, that’s right!), Applications to be installed separately or, again, online services that can be used directly from the browser. In short, you are spoiled for choice!

So, how about finally putting the chatter aside and starting to get busy? Yup? Great! So I suggest not wasting any more time and proceeding. Get comfortable and start focusing on reading the following. I am sure that, in the end, you will be able to say that you are very happy and satisfied with the result. Let it bet?

Index

• App to transform a Word file to PDF on iPad
  • File
  • Word
  • Pages
  • The Document Converter
• Turn Word file to PDF on iPad online
  • iLovePDF
  • PDF Candy
  • Convertio

App to transform a Word file to PDF on iPad

As I told you at the beginning of the guide, to be able to transform a Word file into PDF on iPad, you can first use some useful apps for the purpose. Below, therefore, you will find those that, in my humble opinion, represent the best solutions of this type: put them to the test immediately!

File

The first tool that I recommend you to consider, if you want to transform a Word file into PDF on iPad, is the File app pre-installed in iOS / iPadOS (if removed it can be downloaded again from the relevant section of the App Store ): via quest ‘last you can view and manage files stored on the device as well as on iCloud Drive and other cloud storage services. Well, you probably didn’t know it but, using it, you can call up the function to take advantage of the PDF virtual printer and, therefore, transform any DOC / DOCX document into PDF.

To use File for your purpose, tap on the application icon (the one with the blue folder and the white background ) that you find on the home screen and, in the screen that is shown to you, select the location from which you want to take the file Word on which you intend to go to act, from the left side menu (if it is not visible, first tap on the item Positions at the top of the screen).

Then, press and hold the icon of the DOC / DOCX file of your interest and choose the Quick View item from the menu that opens. In the screen with the content of the document that is now shown to you, touch the sharing icon (the one with the square and the arrow ) located at the top right and tap on the Print item in the additional menu that appears.

In the print management screen that is now shown to you, enlarge the first page of the document, pinch to zoom on its preview, then press again on the share icon at the top right and, from the umpteenth menu that you opens, choose the location or app in which to save the document which, by doing so, will automatically be transformed into PDF.

Word

To succeed in your intent, you can also turn to the Word app for mobile devices, which is the mobile counterpart of the famous word processing program part of the Microsoft Office package. You can use it after logging into your Microsoft account and it’s free, as long as the iPad in your possession has dimensions equal to or less than 10.1 ″. Otherwise, to access the features offered by Word you will need to subscribe to Office 365 (at the basic cost of 7 euros/month), which can be used free of charge for a trial period of 30 days, as I explained in detail in my post on how to install Office.

To download and install Word on your iPad, visit the relevant section of the App Store, press the Get button, then click the Install button and authorize the download using Face ID, Touch ID or Apple ID password. Then, start the app by tapping the Open button that appeared on the screen or by selecting its icon that has been added to the home screen.

Now that you see the main Word screen, follow the short introductory tutorial that is proposed to you, by tapping the Start and  Next buttons, choosing whether to send the diagnostic data or not and pressing the OK button. If you wish to receive notifications from the app, also tap on the Enable button, otherwise press on the Not now one. Next, log into your Microsoft account (or create one right now if you don’t have one yet, following the instructions in my post on the subject ).

At this point, open the Word document you want to convert to PDF, by tapping on the Open item on the left side of the screen, selecting the location where the file is saved and then pressing on its preview.

Once the document is displayed, tap on the icon with the sheet and the three dots located at the top left and choose the Export option from the menu that is shown to you, then touch the word PDF. Finally, choose the location on your device to save the file and press the Export item at the top of the display.

If, on the other hand, you want to save the final PDF file in another app, after pressing the button with the sheet and the three dots, select the Send a copy item from the menu that appears, choose the PDF option from the Format menu, tap on the wording Send with another app and indicate the application of your interest among those listed.

Pages

Another tool you have on your side to turn a Word file to PDF on iPad is Pages, the word processor app made available by Apple for its users. It is practically the Word counterpart of the “bitten apple” company and is completely free.

To download and install Pages on your iPad, visit the relevant section of the App Store, tap the Get button, then the Install button and authorize the download using Face ID, Touch ID or Apple ID password. Then, start the application by pressing the Open button that appeared on the display or by selecting the relative icon that has been added to the home screen.

Now that you see the main screen of Pages, select the Word document you want to transform into PDF from the Browse section of the application, then tap the button (…) located at the top right and choose, from the menu that opens, first the item Export and then that PDF; finally indicate the location or app in which to save the final PDF and that’s it.

The Document Converter

None of the solutions to transform a Word file into PDF on iPad that I have already suggested convinced you in a particular way and are you therefore looking for some alternative solution? Then turn to The Document Converter. It is, in fact, an application that allows you to convert various types of documents, including DOC / DOCX files, into PDF and various other formats. It’s free, but to select some output formats, including PDF, you need to make in-app purchases (at a basic cost of 3.99 euros/month or 10.99 euros one-off). However, you can try the service for free for one week.

To download and install the app on your iPad, visit the relevant section of the App Store, press the Get button, then the Install button and authorize the download using Face ID, Touch ID or Apple ID password. Then start it by touching the Open button that appeared on the display or by selecting the relative icon that has been added to the home screen.

Now that you see the main screen of the application, indicate the position from which you intend to take the Word file of your interest, by tapping on the relative icon, then choose the PDF Document (.pdf) item from the drop-down menu A and press the Convert button. Then wait for the conversion procedure to be started and completed and choose the location where you want to save the PDF that is returned to you. Easier than that?

Turn Word file to PDF on iPad online

Don’t want or can’t download new apps? In this case, to transform a Word file into PDF on iPad, you can consider using one of the online services that I have reported below.

iLovePDF

The first online service I recommend you consider is iLovePDF. It works without registration, is free and allows you to create, edit, unlock and convert PDFs. Furthermore, the service protects the privacy of users by removing all documents that are uploaded to its servers within a few hours of uploading. However, please note that you can only upload one file at a time, with a size of 100MB or less. To get around this limitation, bringing the maximum size allowed to 1 GB, paid plans must be subscribed (with costs starting from 6 euros/month), which also allow you to take advantage of other additional features.

To take advantage of iLovePDF, open Safari or in any case the browser you generally use to surf the Net from your iPad, go to the home page of the service, tap the Select WORD documents button and select the Word file you are interested in acting on. Alternatively, you can upload the document from Google Drive or Dropbox, by touching the appropriate buttons visible on the screen.

Once the upload procedure is complete, click on the Convert to PDF button located at the bottom right and wait for the conversion procedure to start and complete. Finally, save the file that is returned to you, by tapping on the sharing icon and choosing the location or app in which to save the PDF obtained. If after the conversion the final PDF is not shown automatically, to force the procedure, click on the Download PDF button.

PDF Candy

PDF Candy is another great online service that you can refer to convert Word documents to PDF on your iPad. It allows, in fact, to intervene on PDFs by converting them, unlocking them, merging them, dividing them, etc. and it also allows you to transform other types of documents into the format in question. It’s free, requires no registration and no upload limits. In addition, it protects the privacy of users by eliminating files that are uploaded to its servers in a short time.

To take advantage of PDF Candy, open Safari or the browser you usually use to surf the Internet from your iPad, visit its home page and press the Add file button, then select the Word file of your interest. Alternatively, take the document from Google Drive or Dropbox, by tapping on the relevant icons.

At the end of the procedure, download the Word file converted to PDF, by pressing the Download the file button, and confirming what your intentions are, by tapping on the Download item in the box that appears on the display. Alternatively, you can save the PDF on Google Drive or Dropbox, always selecting the relative icons.

Convertio

Convertio is another web service that you can consider relying on to transform Word files into PDFs. In fact, it allows you to convert virtually any type of file into other formats, including DOC / DOCX and PDF. It is free and registration is not mandatory, but it should be noted that it is not possible to upload items larger than 100 MB, unless you take out the paid subscription (with prices starting from $ 9.99 / month), which also allows you to use other additional functions, such as the ability to load heavier files.

To use Convertio, open Safari or in any case the browser you generally use on your iPad to browse online, go to the home page of the service and press the Choose files button, then select the Word file you want to act on. Alternatively, you can upload files from Dropbox and Google Drive or you can indicate the URL, by tapping on the appropriate buttons.

Then, click on the Convert button located in the lower right part of the screen and wait for the document conversion procedure to be started and completed. Then download the final PDF by tapping the Download button next to the file name, and that’s it.