Why your iPhone cannot open it
There has never been a Publisher app for iPhone or iPad, and the Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Microsoft 365 apps do not read .pub files. The Files app and Mail's preview cannot show them either, which is why a Publisher attachment appears as a blank icon that will not open.
This page works in Safari, so you can read the file without installing anything.
Getting the file out of Mail, Messages or WhatsApp
The file needs to be in the Files app before you can upload it:
- Mail: touch and hold the attachment, choose "Save to Files", and pick a folder.
- Messages: touch and hold the file, choose "Save to Files" (or tap Share, then "Save to Files").
- WhatsApp: open the document, tap the share icon, and choose "Save to Files".
- Gmail or Outlook apps: open the attachment, tap the share icon, and choose "Save to Files".
Opening the file here
Come back to this page in Safari, tap "Choose file", then "Choose File" (or "Browse") and find the .pub file. After it uploads, the pages appear in a strip you can swipe through, with zoom buttons for small print. The same steps work on iPad, where you can also drag the file in from the Files app in Split View.
Saving and sharing the result
Tap "Download PDF". Safari saves it to the Downloads folder in Files, and you can tap the downloads icon in the address bar to open it. From there, use the share sheet to send it by Mail, Messages or WhatsApp, print it with AirPrint, or save it to iCloud Drive.
To keep a page as a picture, choose PNG or JPG under the upload box, download the page, open it, and choose "Save Image" to put it in Photos.
No app to install
Everything happens in the browser, so there is nothing to download from the App Store and nothing left on your phone afterwards except the files you choose to save. Your upload is deleted within 60 minutes from our servers.