A PDF that opens sideways is annoying to read on a screen and even worse to print. Rotate PDF on Xon File turns every page of your file by 90 degrees or 180 degrees, and you can fix up to 30 PDFs in one go. It's free, there's no account, and it works in the browser on your phone or computer.
Why PDFs end up sideways
Most sideways PDFs come from scanning. A page placed on the glass the wrong way, or a phone held sideways while using a scanning app, can leave you with text running up the side of the screen. Upside-down files usually come from paper fed into a scanner the wrong way round. In each case you pick the direction that brings the text upright and download the corrected file.
Choosing the right rotation
There are three options under "Rotation".
| Option | Use it when |
|---|---|
| 90° clockwise | The top of the page is pointing left, so the text reads from bottom to top |
| 180° | The page is upside down |
| 90° anticlockwise | The top of the page is pointing right, so the text reads from top to bottom |
If you aren't sure which way to go, look at where the top of the page is pointing. Clockwise turns it the way a clock's hands move. If you turn it 90° the wrong way, run the result through again with 180° and it will be right.
How to rotate a PDF
- Add your PDF files. Drag them onto the box on a computer, or tap "Select files" on a phone. You can add up to 30 PDFs, up to 100 MB per upload.
- Choose 90° clockwise, 180° or 90° anticlockwise.
- Start the tool.
- Download the result. One PDF downloads directly. If you rotated several, they come back together in one ZIP file.
Every page turns together
This tool rotates all the pages in each file by the same amount. It can't turn just one page and leave the others alone. That suits the most common case, where a whole scan came out sideways, but not a document where only a few pages are turned.
For a mixed document, you can still get there with a few Xon File tools:
- Use Extract pages to save the sideways pages as their own PDF.
- Rotate that small PDF here.
- Put it back together with the rest of the document using Merge PDF, then move the pages into place with Organize PDF.
Your original file stays untouched on your device the whole time, so if anything goes wrong you can start again.
Who uses it
Office workers deal with sideways scans all the time, especially from shared scanners where the last person changed the settings. Rotating a batch of up to 30 files at once saves opening each one.
Students who scan handwritten notes or assignments with a phone often find the PDF saved the wrong way. A teacher marking on a laptop will appreciate a file that reads the right way up.
If you're sending a document by email or WhatsApp, rotating it first means the person opening it on their phone doesn't have to turn their screen or zoom around to read it.
Small businesses receiving signed forms or delivery notes back from customers can fix the orientation before filing them, so the records are readable later.
A few tips
- All files in one upload get the same rotation. Open one or two first to check which way the text runs, and group files that need the same fix.
- If a page ended up turned 90° the wrong way, you don't need the original. Rotate the result by 180° and it ends up the right way.
- Scanned PDFs are often large. If the rotated file is too big to attach to an email or send on WhatsApp, Compress PDF can shrink it, and scans are the kind of PDF that shrink the most.
- Keep your original file until you've opened the rotated one and checked it reads correctly.
Your files stay private
Your PDFs are processed on our server and deleted as soon as the rotated files are sent back to you. Nothing is stored or shared. No watermark or branding is added to your pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to rotate PDF files?
Yes. Rotate PDF is free, with no sign-up and no account. The rotated files have no watermark on them.
Can I rotate a PDF on my phone?
Yes. The tool works in the browser on Android phones and iPhones. Tap "Select files", pick the PDF, choose the rotation and download the result. There's no app to install.
Can I rotate only one page of a PDF?
Not directly. This tool rotates every page in the file. To turn a single page, extract that page, rotate it here, then merge it back and use Organize PDF to put it in place.
How many PDFs can I rotate at once?
Up to 30 files in one upload, with a limit of 100 MB per upload. All files get the same rotation. If some need clockwise and others need anticlockwise, do them in two batches.
My PDF is upside down. Which option do I choose?
Choose 180°. It turns the page all the way round so the top is at the top again.
Why did I get a ZIP file?
When you rotate more than one PDF, the results are bundled into a single ZIP so you only download once. Open it to find each rotated PDF inside. A single PDF downloads on its own without a ZIP.