Effortless Guide: Transferring Your PDF Documents Onto an iPad

How to Copy PDF to iPad

Posted by Ada Wang on 12/3/2018 4:05:15 PM.

There are so many people asking the question “how to copy pdf to iPad” at discussions.apple.com. How to copy pdf files onto an iPad? How to transfer pdf documents from my computer to my iPad? How to transfer pdf from MacBook to iPad? It’s so fun and interesting reading pdf files on the iPad, iPod, iPhone, but how to? Following I guide you several ways to copy pdf to iPad, no matter where your pdfs downloaded from, the iTunes store or another ebook store.

First way: Copy PDF to iPad with iTunes

When reading pdf files on iPad, you first need pdf reader app on your iPad that supports pdf files. There are many good readers are provided in App store, and iBooks is one of those free apps, as the built-in reading app, Apple’s official eBook reading application, I treat it as the best. If you collect many PDF files saved on your computer, PC or Mac, and you don’t mind connecting iPad with your computer, iTunes is the best tool. You can import or sync PDFs to your iPad with iTunes, then copy pdf to iPad iBooks.

Make sure you install iTunes and iBooks app please.

Step 1: Run iTunes on computer

Open iTunes on your computer, then go to “Fire”–”Add File to Library”.

Step 2: Select PDF books

Select your pdf books saved in your local hard drive, add them to the iTunes library. You can choose more than one pdf file, but at this time you’d better creat a new folder to gather all those pdf files you want to add. Then when “add to library” you can just choose this folder. This step can save your time, no need to select books one by one.

After files chosen, from “Books” tab, “PDFs” section you will find pdf books just added now listed in the iTunes library.

Step 3: Connect iPad to sync PDF

Connect your iPad to your computer. Choose iPad under the “Devices” section in iTunes, then click on the “Books” tab from the list at the top, make sure that “Sync Books”is checked. If you want to sync all of the books you’ve added to iTunes, select “All Books” and then click the “Sync” button. But if you just want to sync specific books, choose “Selected Books”. Then please click on “Apply” to “Sync”.

Step 4: Open PDF in iBooks

Now all PDF files are sent to your iPad. Open iBooks app on your iPad, at the top of the screen you will see a “PDFs“ button, just with one click you can see all PDF books added just now will be listed in iBooks bookshelf.

Tips: If you don’t like iBooks app, you are still able to find another PDF reader apps from App store, or get a try of the second way below.

Second way: Copy PDF to iPad without iTunes

iBooks requires our users to use iTunes when copying files to iPad or iPod, iPhone. It may be a bit boring at times especially when you don’t have your own computer available, at the office or out the door. Connecting computer to iPad, syncing is slow, app icons are messed up easily, and so on.

So at this situation here you the alternative way: Transfer pdf files to iPad without iTunes.

1. Copy PDF to iPad via email

Send yourself an email, attach the pdf files to the email. And then on your iPad open the mail app, tap on the icon to the attachment, download pdf files. After downloaded, tap it to open in “iBooks” or other PDF reader apps.

2. Copy PDF to iPad with Dropbox

If you have installed dropbox app on your iPad and have got an account, you can firstly upload your pdf files to dropbox account, and then launch the Dropbox app on your iPad, touch and find the added file just now.

Open PDF file and then tap on “Share”–”Open in”, from the menu select the reading app, OK.

These are 2 most recommended ways to copy pdf to iPad without iTunes. They are very easy.

But no matter which way you choose, with itunes or email, wifi network, dropbox, etc, after your pdf files added, you should choose a reading app to open your pdf books on iPad. Default I will advice you open in iBooks, as it is apple’s official app.

But not all pdf files are readable in iBooks, because iBooks only supports files purchased from iTunes store, or drm free. But as you know, most of our downloaded pdf files are with DRM protected, so for successfully PDF reading (Kobo pdf, Android pdf, Sony pdf, Nook pdf, etc) in iBooks, we’d better Remove DRM from PDF with Epubor Ultimate .

Download the tool for free:

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Effortless Guide: Transferring Your PDF Documents Onto an iPad