How to rotate a PDF on Mac has two free answers. The simplest for a whole file is our free Rotate PDF tool: open it in Safari or Chrome, choose the PDF, pick a direction and click Download Rotated PDF. It runs in your browser, so nothing is installed and your PDF stays on your Mac, and it turns every page in the file. The built-in option is Preview, which can rotate one page or any pages you select.

This guide covers only the Mac. For other devices, see the main guide: how to rotate a PDF.

Method 1: Rotate PDF in Your Browser (Whole File)

This works in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge on any Mac. Your PDF is rotated by your browser on your own Mac. It is not sent to a server.

  1. Open rapidtools.online/rotate-pdf. No account is needed.
  2. Drag your PDF into the box, or click the box and choose the file in Finder.
  3. Choose a direction: 90° Clockwise, 180° Flip or 90° Counter (counter-clockwise).
  4. Click Download Rotated PDF. The fixed file downloads with “rotated-” added to the start of the name.
The tool turns every page. Our Rotate PDF tool rotates all the pages in the file the same way. It cannot rotate just one page.

Method 2: Preview (Built In, Any Pages)

Preview comes with every Mac and can rotate just the pages you choose. These steps follow Apple’s Preview guide.

  1. Open the PDF in Preview.
  2. Choose View > Thumbnails to see the pages in the sidebar.
  3. Select the pages to turn. Click one page, or hold Command and click to select more than one.
  4. Click the Rotate Left tool. To rotate right, hold Option and click Rotate Right.
  5. Choose File > Save to keep the change.

Source: Apple: Crop or rotate a PDF in Preview on Mac.

How to Rotate Just One Page

On a Mac, Preview is the easiest way to turn one page: select only that page and rotate it. You can also fix one page with RapidTools in three steps, all in your browser:

  1. Use Split PDF three times to make three files: pages 1-2, page 3, and pages 4-10.
  2. Rotate the page 3 file with Rotate PDF.
  3. Put the three files back together in order with Merge PDF, using the up and down arrows to set the order.

Which Method Should You Use?

Browser tool Preview
InstallNoneNone (built in)
Pages turnedEvery pageAny pages you select
File leaves your MacNoNo

On Windows instead? See how to rotate a PDF on Windows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I rotate a PDF on a Mac for free?

Open rapidtools.online/rotate-pdf in Safari or Chrome, choose the PDF, pick 90° Clockwise, 180° Flip or 90° Counter, and click Download Rotated PDF. You can also use Preview: select the pages in the Thumbnails sidebar, click Rotate Left, and save.

Can I rotate just one page on a Mac?

Yes, with Preview. Show the Thumbnails sidebar, select only that page, click Rotate Left, or hold Option and click Rotate Right, then save. Our Rotate PDF tool turns every page in the file.

Does the browser tool rotate every page?

Yes. Our Rotate PDF tool turns all the pages in the file the same way. To fix one page with RapidTools, split it out with Split PDF, rotate it, and merge the parts back in order.

Does rotating change my original PDF?

The browser tool downloads a new file with rotated- at the start of the name and leaves your original as it was. Preview changes the file you have open when you save it.

Is my PDF uploaded when I use the browser tool?

No. Your PDF is rotated by your browser on your own Mac and is never sent to a server.

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