How to save an email as a PDF on iPhone and iPad

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An iPhone placed on a table next to a plant pot.

(Image credit: Future)

If you're looking to save an email as a PDF, the built-in Mail app is perfectly capable of doing so. It's filled with helpful tools for your everyday life so you don't need to consider a third-party app.

Crucially, thanks to its feature-rich bunch of options, it means you can easily save an email as a PDF on your iPhone or iPad without having to worry about digging out your Mac instead. The process only takes a few minutes to complete and you can do it on as many emails as you need to save.

Not sure where to start? Don't worry. We're here to tell you all about what to do so you'll be ready with a bunch of PDFs in no time.

How to save an email as a PDF on iPhone and iPad

  1. Click the Mail app on your iPhone or iPad
  2. Tap the email message that you wish to save as a PDF.
  3. Tap the action button which looks like a reply arrow. It's also used to reply to or forward email messages to other recipients.
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  1. Scroll down through the options, then tap Print to open the printer settings.
  2. Pinch open the thumbnail image of the first page of your email.
To turn an email into a PDF, scroll down, then tap Print. Pinch open the thumbnail image.
  1. Tap the Share button in the upper right corner of the screen.
  2. Select the app you want to save or share your PDF-converted email to. In our example, the PDF is saved to iCloud.
To turn an email into a PDF, tap the share button, then select the app you want to save or share your PDF.

The Mail app makes it easier than ever to save an email as a PDF. It also makes it simple to do a lot more with the newly created PDF. It's possible to send it to a nearby person using Dropbox, save it to your Notes app, copy it to Books, or simply forward it to someone else. You could even AirDrop it to a different device of yours if that's all you're aiming to do.

In many cases, third-party apps like DropBox, Messenger, and Slack also support the sharing and storing of PDF emails, further adding to your options.

If you're the type of person who prefers to have more concrete (in a virtual sense) copies of things than just regular emails, being able to save key messages as PDFs can give you a lot more functionality and peace of mind.

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