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rachelc25866385
Participant
Oct 25, 2019 10:07 AM UTC
Question

Hyperlinks and phone number links won't work on mobile device

I have created an interactive PDF of a brochure in InDesign with email links, links to YouTube videos and links to phone numbers. 

They work when I open the PDF on my laptop. However, when I open them in my mobile, no links work. I have an IOS phone and my colleague has tried opening the same PDF on his Android phone and they don't work on that either. 

We've also tried removing the links from InDesign creating links in Acrobat, but the same happens - they open on a laptop but not on a mobile. 

This brochure we expect will be mostly used on mobile as it's for people in hospital, so it's essential to get the links working. 

Please can you help!

Many thanks

6 replies

ron5ECF
Participant
Oct 24, 2025 8:23 AM UTC

tray using the hiperlink pannel

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Diane Burns
Diane Burns
Inspiring
Oct 25, 2019 6:55 PM UTC

As noted in this thread, the iOS PDF reader does not honor all these elements, so it won't work. You could try exporting as a fixed layout epub, as mentioned, or try exporting as Publish Online, which fully supports it all, and is basically one-click publishing. Some great Publish Online examples, all done with InDesign, can be found here: http://bit.ly/PubOnCollection. 

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John Mensinger
Community Expert
John MensingerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
Oct 25, 2019 11:58 AM UTC

Yes, the mobile platform effectively destroyed the viability of PDF as a "universal" interactive vehicle. I'd suggest you abandon that plan and start working on deployment of your content as Fixed Layout ePub.

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/ebook-fixed-layout.html

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rachelc25866385Author
Participant
Oct 25, 2019 12:53 PM UTC

Many thanks for your help

Rach 

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Derek Cross
Community Expert
Derek CrossCommunity Expert
Community Expert
Oct 25, 2019 1:10 PM UTC

You can have simple internal and external hyperlinks on an Intercative PDF (not multi-state buttons).

 

In addition to FXL ePubs also consider trying InDesign's Publish Online.

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Test Screen Name
Legend
Oct 25, 2019 10:51 AM UTC

I wouldn't be hopeful of getting any interactive features working in general. There are many PDF reading apps, and only Acrobat Reader on Mac or Windows is complete. Did you try Acrobat Reader on portable? The default Reader is no use at all.

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