How to rotate a PDF on a Mac

Rotating a PDF is one job Preview does well on a Mac, with a keyboard shortcut and a real save. The one trap is rotating only the page you are looking at when you meant the whole document, and it is worth knowing how to select everything first.

The built-in way on a Mac: Preview

  1. 01

    Open the PDF in Preview and choose View → Thumbnails.

  2. 02

    Click a page thumbnail to rotate just that page, or click in the sidebar and press Cmd+A to select every page.

  3. 03

    Choose Tools → Rotate Left (Cmd+L) or Rotate Right (Cmd+R), or use the rotate button in the toolbar.

  4. 04

    Choose File → Save. The rotation is written into the file, so other apps see it too.

Where it falls short

  • With no thumbnails selected, only the current page rotates.
  • Preview saves in place, so keep a copy if you want the original orientation back.

Do it in the browser instead

The same Rotate PDF tool as the main page, running in Safari or Chrome on a Mac. Nothing is installed and the file is processed on your device.

Processed in your browser. This file never leaves your device.

  1. 01

    Choose the PDF

    Open the tool in Safari or Chrome on your Mac and choose the file, or drag it from the Finder straight onto the page.

  2. 02

    Click the rotate arrows on any page thumbnail, or rotate all pages at once with the toolbar buttons. The preview shows the new orientation.

    Click the rotate arrows on any page thumbnail, or rotate all pages at once with the toolbar buttons. The preview shows the new orientation.

  3. 03

    Download the result

    Click Save PDF. The file is saved in place, so form fields and links survive.

Preview or the browser tool?

 PreviewPDF Spree
CostFree, built inFree, no account
Text stays selectableYesYes
File leaves your deviceNoNo — processed in the browser
Works on other devicesNo, this platform onlyYes, any modern browser

Rotate PDF on a Mac: questions

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