WhatsApp allows sending PDF files up to 100 MB as documents. For larger PDFs, compression is needed first. Here is how to share PDFs on WhatsApp from any device — and how to compress them if they exceed the limit.
WhatsApp supports sending PDF files up to 100 MB as document attachments. Files over 100 MB cannot be sent — they must be compressed first, or shared via a link (Google Drive, OneDrive) instead.
In WhatsApp, open the chat. Tap the attachment icon (paperclip). Tap Document. Browse to the PDF in your Downloads or Files folder. Tap the PDF to select it. Tap Send. The recipient receives it as a document attachment.
In WhatsApp, open the chat. Tap the "+" button → Document. Browse Files or iCloud Drive to find the PDF. Tap the PDF to select it. Tap Send.
Tip: To share from another app (Files, Mail), tap Share → WhatsApp. Choose the contact or group. Tap Send. This is often faster than navigating through WhatsApp's document picker.
If your PDF is over 100 MB (e.g., a presentation with many photos), compress it first at pdfeditor.onl/compress-pdf. The Balanced profile reduces most PDFs by 40–70%. A 150 MB PDF typically compresses to 40–60 MB — well within WhatsApp's 100 MB limit.
WhatsApp stores PDFs as documents, not in the photo gallery. To share PDF content as an image, convert the PDF page to JPG first using pdfeditor.onl/convert-pdf, then send the JPG as a photo attachment.
WhatsApp does not re-compress document attachments (PDFs). Sent PDFs arrive at the exact file size and quality as the original. Only image and video attachments are compressed by WhatsApp.