How to Extract Pages From a PDF (Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android)
"Extract pages from a PDF" usually means one of two things: pulling specific pages out into a new PDF (e.g., just pages 5-10 of a 50-page contract) or saving each page as a separate PDF. Native tools handle the first case well on Mac and iPhone; Windows is the awkward one. PDFWix Extract Pages handles both cases in any browser without installing anything.
On Mac (native — recommended)
Apple Preview has handled page extraction since macOS 10.7 and the workflow is unchanged on macOS Sequoia 15. It's faster than any third-party tool when you only need a handful of pages.
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Open the PDF in Preview.
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Choose View → Thumbnails to show the page sidebar.
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Cmd-click each page you want to extract (Shift-click for ranges).
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Drag the selected thumbnails to your Desktop — Preview instantly creates a new PDF containing only those pages.
On Windows
Windows 10 and 11 don't ship a first-party PDF page extractor. Microsoft Edge can print a page range to a new PDF, but that re-renders the document and may degrade quality (text becomes raster on some pages, embedded fonts get re-substituted).
The two genuinely good free options are PDFWix in any browser, or installing the free PDF24 desktop app. PDFWix is the no-install route.
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Open Edge, Chrome or Firefox and go to pdfwix.com/extract-pages.
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Drop your PDF onto the dropzone.
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Type page ranges (e.g., 1-3, 7, 10-15) or click thumbnails to select pages.
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Click Extract — the new PDF downloads to your Downloads folder.
On iPhone & iPad (iOS 16+)
Since iOS 16, the Files app can extract pages by deleting unwanted ones from the page sidebar — technically a remove-the-others workflow, but the result is the same.
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Long-press the PDF in Files → Quick Actions → Markup.
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Tap the page-sidebar icon (top-left).
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Long-press each page you don't want and tap Delete.
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Tap Done → Save File To… as a new copy (so your original stays intact).
On iOS 15 or older, this workflow isn't available — use PDFWix in Safari or install the free PDF Expert app.
On Android
Google Drive's PDF preview is read-only — it cannot extract or reorder pages. The two free options are PDFWix in Chrome (no install) or the free Xodo app (~50 MB, requires Google Play sign-in).
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Open Chrome and go to pdfwix.com/extract-pages.
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Tap Select file → choose the PDF from Files, Drive or Downloads.
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Type page ranges or tap thumbnails to pick pages.
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Tap Extract — the new PDF saves to your Downloads folder.
Extract vs Split — pick the right tool
Extract Pages keeps a chosen subset in one new PDF. Split PDF breaks every page (or every N pages) into separate files. If you want pages 5-10 as a single document, use Extract. If you want each page of a 50-page doc as its own file, use Split.
Frequently asked questions
What's the page-range syntax?
Use commas to separate selections and dashes for ranges. "1-3, 7, 10-15" extracts pages 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 in original order. Spaces are ignored.
Is the extracted PDF lower quality than the original?
No. Pages are copied at the binary level (PDF object copy), not re-rendered. Text stays selectable, fonts stay embedded, signatures and form fields stay intact.
Can I extract pages from a password-protected PDF?
Unlock it first with Unlock PDF using your password — encrypted PDFs can't be modified until decrypted. Only unlock PDFs you have permission to.
Can I extract more than one range at once?
Yes — combine ranges in one expression. "1-3, 12-18, 50" extracts three discontinuous chunks into one new PDF. Pages stay in original order.
Why use Extract instead of Split?
Extract gives you one new PDF containing the chosen pages. Split breaks the source into many files. If a colleague asks for "chapter 4", Extract is the clean answer.