How to Delete Pages from PDF: Free Methods for Any Device

You have a PDF with 20 pages but only need 12 of them. Or there are blank pages, duplicate pages, or pages with sensitive information that should not be there. Whatever the reason, removing pages from a PDF is one of the most common editing tasks — and you do not need expensive software to do it. Here are the best free methods for every device and situation.

Method 1: Online PDF Page Deleter (Any Device)

The fastest way to delete pages from a PDF — works in any browser on any device:

1. Open your browser and go to a free PDF page tool like PDF24 Tools, iLovePDF, or Smallpdf.
2. Upload your PDF file.
3. Select the pages you want to delete (click on page thumbnails or enter page numbers).
4. Click Apply or Delete Pages.
5. Download the modified PDF.

Most online tools handle files up to 100 MB on their free tier. For sensitive documents, use one of the offline methods below.

Method 2: Mac Preview (Built-in, Free)

If you are on a Mac, you already have everything you need. Preview can delete pages from any PDF:

1. Open the PDF in Preview (double-click the file).
2. Make sure the sidebar is showing thumbnails. If not, click View > Thumbnails.
3. Select the page(s) you want to delete in the sidebar. Hold Command to select multiple pages.
4. Press the Delete key on your keyboard. Or go to Edit > Delete.
5. Close the file and save when prompted.

This works on all versions of macOS. The deleted pages are permanently removed from the file.

Method 3: Windows — PDF24 (Free Desktop App)

For Windows users who prefer a desktop tool over uploading files online:

1. Download and install PDF24 Creator (free, no ads, no watermarks).
2. Open PDF24 Creator and load your PDF.
3. Click on the page thumbnails you want to remove.
4. Click the Delete button (trash icon).
5. Save the modified PDF.

PDF24 is one of the best free PDF tools for Windows. It runs entirely offline — your files never leave your computer.

Method 4: Google Chrome (Windows, Mac, Linux)

A clever workaround using Chrome's built-in PDF viewer:

1. Open the PDF in Google Chrome (drag and drop the file into a Chrome tab).
2. Press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on Mac).
3. Change the printer to Save as PDF.
4. In the Pages field, enter the page numbers you want to keep (for example, "1-5, 8, 10-12").
5. Click Save.

This does not technically delete pages — it creates a new PDF with only the pages you specified. The result is the same: unwanted pages are gone.

Method 5: iPhone and iPad

You can delete PDF pages directly on iOS:

1. Open the PDF in the Files app.
2. Tap the page thumbnail view icon (usually in the top-left corner).
3. Long-press the page you want to delete.
4. Tap Delete Page.
5. Save the file.

For more control, use a free app like Adobe Acrobat Reader or PDF Expert (free tier). These apps let you select multiple pages at once.

Method 6: Android

On Android, use a dedicated PDF app:

1. Install Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Play Store.
2. Open the PDF in Acrobat.
3. Tap the pages icon to see page thumbnails.
4. Long-press a page, then select additional pages.
5. Tap Delete (trash icon).
6. Save the modified file.

Command Line: Delete Pages with qpdf

For developers and power users, qpdf can extract specific pages from a PDF:

qpdf --empty --pages input.pdf 1-5,8,10-12 -- output.pdf

This creates a new PDF containing only pages 1 through 5, page 8, and pages 10 through 12. Install qpdf via Homebrew on Mac or your package manager on Linux.

Does Deleting Pages Reduce PDF File Size?

Usually, yes. Each page in a PDF can contain text, images, and embedded fonts. Removing pages removes that content, which reduces the overall file size. The amount of reduction depends on what was on the deleted pages — removing pages with large images will shrink the file more than removing text-only pages.

However, some PDF files have shared resources (like fonts embedded once for the whole document). In those cases, deleting pages may not reduce the size as much as expected. If size reduction is your main goal, combine page deletion with our PDF compression guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete pages from a password-protected PDF?

You need to unlock the PDF first. Use the password to open it, then either re-save it without the password protection, or use an online tool that supports encrypted PDFs. Check our guide on unlocking password-protected PDFs.

Will deleting pages affect the formatting of remaining pages?

No. PDF pages are independent of each other. Removing a page does not change the layout, formatting, or content of the remaining pages. Each page maintains its exact appearance.

Can I undo deleting a page?

Only if you have not saved the file yet. In most tools, you can undo (Ctrl+Z) before saving. Once you save and close the file, the deleted pages are gone permanently. Always work on a copy of important documents.

How do I delete blank pages from a PDF?

Blank pages at the end of a PDF are easy to spot in thumbnail view and delete individually. For PDFs with scattered blank pages throughout, some tools (like PDF24) can automatically detect and remove blank pages in one operation.