No app to install

Markdown to PDF on iPhone

You can turn a Markdown file into a PDF on an iPhone without an app. The page works in Safari. The only tricky part is the last step, because iOS hides the PDF behind a pinch gesture. This guide shows it.

Page options

Theme

Paper

Orientation

Margins

Text size

Page numbers Add to footer

Front matter Print as a table

Markdown (type, paste, or drop a .md file)

Preview (what the PDF will look like)

The button opens your browser print dialog. Choose Save as PDF as the destination. For a clean page, turn off "Headers and footers". The file is named after your first heading. Everything stays on your device.

Saving a PDF on a phone or tablet

iPhone and iPad (Safari)

Press Download PDF.
On the page preview, spread two fingers apart. The PDF opens full screen.
Tap the Share button, then Save to Files.

Android (Chrome)

Press Download PDF.
At the top of the print screen, set Destination to Save as PDF.
Tap the round PDF button and choose where to save.

Steps on iPhone and iPad

Open this page in Safari.
Paste your Markdown into the editor. To open a file, press Open .md file and pick it from Files.
Check the preview below the editor. The editor and preview stack on a small screen.
Press the Download PDF button at the bottom of the screen.
On the print preview that opens, spread two fingers apart over the page. The PDF opens full screen.
Tap the Share button, then Save to Files. You can also send it to Mail or Messages from there.

Tips for a small screen

Use narrow margins. They fit more text on a small page, and the sample on this page has them on.
Wide tables scroll sideways in the preview. In the PDF they are laid out at paper width.
Turn your phone sideways to see more of the editor.
Tap Clear when you finish, so the saved draft does not stay on the phone.

Where the text goes

The conversion runs in Safari on your phone. Your text is not sent to a server. The PDF is made on the device and goes to Files, where only you can see it.

Page numbers on iPhone

Safari does not draw page numbers in print. If you need them, make the PDF on a computer in Chrome or Edge. The page count in the status line still works as a guide.

Questions

I tapped Download PDF and see a print screen, not a file. Is that right?

Yes. On iPhone the print preview is the step before the file. Spread two fingers over the page to open the PDF, then use Share and Save to Files.

Can I open a .md file from the Files app?

Yes. Press Open .md file and pick the file. If the file shows as gray, copy its text and paste it into the editor.

Does it work in Chrome on iPhone?

It works, but Chrome on iPhone uses the same engine as Safari. The steps are the same.