I am away from my computer and need to upload a 15-page PDF application from my Android phone, but the portal only accepts files under 5 MB. Every app I have downloaded so far asks for a paid subscription just to shrink the file size. Does anyone know a completely free way to compress a PDF right on my phone?
had the same thing last month trying to send a big checklist pdf from my phone. tbh i uploaded it to google drive then opened with google docs and saved a new pdf, size dropped enough to get under the limit. fwiw it worked for me without any extra apps. if that doesnt help id just wait till i get to a computer.
PDF24 Tools works free in Chrome on Android: upload the PDF, choose medium compression, then download the result. Check the file and page readability before submitting. Avoid web compressors if the application contains medical, financial, or identity documents; for those, use an offline app such as PDF Converter from F-Droid.
If the PDF is mostly scans or photos, lowering image quality is what makes the real difference. On Android, I would try opening it in Google Drive, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” and reduce pages or quality if that option appears, though it varies by phone. A free browser-based compressor can also work without installing anything, but check whether the application contains sensitive personal details before uploading it.
I run into this constantly at the campus help desk, people trying to upload forms from their phones. Easiest free fix is opening pdf24 tools in your phone browser, no app install or account needed, just upload the PDF, pick compress, and download the smaller file. My go-to is the medium setting, it usually gets a 15-pager well under 5 MB without making text look mushy.
I’ve had this with supplier forms when I’m away from the shop. Try opening it in Google Drive and using Print > Save as PDF with a lower quality setting if available; otherwise Adobe Acrobat’s mobile app usually has a free basic compression option.
If it’s a scanned doc, the size is usually the images inside it. Try printing it to PDF again from your phone’s share menu but with “minimise” quality, that often shrinks it loads without any app.
- Keep the original saved somewhere safe first.
- Avoid repeating this process multiple times, it gets blurry fast.
It is incredibly annoying when those apps demand a subscription just to shrink a document. I handle heavy construction drawings on my phone all the time and I just use pdfcap.com in my mobile browser. You just tap upload, pick the PDF from your files, and hit the compress button. It makes the file small enough for those portals without charging you a dime.
@angus_1979 Good point about doing it in the phone browser with no install. One caution though: a job application usually has personal details, and I would rather not hand those to a website. Google Drive on Android already does Print then Save as PDF, which trims scans and keeps it local. What phone are you using it on?
so annoying when file limits do this. honestly @temp.228107 is right about keeping patient and personal docs off random sites. doing the print to pdf trick in drive usually cuts the size down a ton for me, not sure if it works the exact same on every phone though.
@donna_06 I have found the same with the Drive print to PDF trick, it does seem to vary a bit depending on the phone and the print service installed. On my Samsung it shows a quality dropdown, but on my old Pixel I had to pick a lower paper size to shrink anything. Did you manage to get your file under the limit with it?