Participant

Question

Bookmarks, pages, comments side panel moved to the right

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
October 12, 2023
11 replies
39058 views

Hello!

With the latest update to Adobe Acrobat Pro (and Adobe Reader too, I assume), the bookmarks side panel that used to live on the left side of the screen has moved to the right, swapping places with the tools side panel. This is completely ineffective and counterproductive, especially when working with large documents with a long table of contents that needs to be referenced repeatedly. Western cultures/languages that use the Latin alphabet read from left to right. This is why all LMS systems and e-learning modules also follow this layout: table of contents on the left, detailed content on the right. Is there a way to configure/personalize my view and move the bookmarks, pages, and comments to the left? I could't find any settings and it the side panels cannot be dragged to a different location. If it is a design fault, then Adobe, please consider one of the following fixes in your upcoming updates:

Make the interface configurable where elements like the side panels (bookmarks, pages, comments) as well as the tools can be set to display on either side of the screen, making it a user choice.
Provide the option of floating windows for the side panels (like so many other Adobe products like Ps,Ai, etc.)
Move the bookmarks, pages, and comments side panel back to the left, while leaving the floating mini-toolbar on the left (as it appears in the new layout).
Return to the original layout (bookmarks-pages-comments on the left, tools on the right). This would still be better than the new layout, and would help our daily workflows immensely.

Thank you!

AdUser0924

Participating Frequently

Posted two years ago… what has changed?

(The second most annoying thing is the nonsearchable settings menu.)

PS. Quickfix: Change View → Enable/Disable new Adobe Reader

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SSBohio_

Participant

In most Western languages, English especially, the expectation for not only text but for UI elements is that they flow from left to right. Therefore, the most sensible place for the Tools sidebar is on the left, since we select the tool first, then use it to manipulate the text.

The best implementation would be to have the Tools sidebar configurable, preferably by a simple drag and drop, to serve the needs of the largest cohort of users.

try67

Community Expert

That doesn't track. The tools can be on either side, but if they were on the right side for 20+ years you need a damn good reason to move them to the other one, not to mention to scramble them all up and make it much less easy to access them (and no, having to search for the tool you want to use each time is NOT a good solution).

MsTania2u

Participant

It “tracks” PERFECTLY! I came here looking for the same thing. My damn good reason being that’s what I want; ease of use while using multiple screens . . . How about Kofax has the ability? A drag and drop option would be amazing. Are you even a UX designer? if not, I apologize in advance for even acknowledging this response. I’ll keep looking for helpful suggestions.

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BenSquig

Participant

Every time I open Acrobat, it aggravates me, and pisses me off that the bookmarks are on the RHS.

This is completely different to Outlook which has all the folder nav on the LHS, and Word which has document outline on the LHS. You're fighting against a bigger ecosystem and it's just making using Acrobat a jarring experience.

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AndrewCi

Participant

Upvote! I have the same issue. Thank you for the guidance on moving to the old UI.

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curry_1928

Participant

This fix makes my job considerably easier when dealing with multiple large PDF's. Thanks!

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Patrick00

Participant

Curious,as to how does putting the bookmarks on the left and the tools hidden on the right help when they are counterintuitive to how the rest of Windows, Apple, and Linux applications work?

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christopherf89006267

Participating Frequently

The redesign was not to make it easier for users. It was to make the tools that require a subscription be visible, the same way that grocery stores put milk in the back.

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Patrick00

Participant

I completely agree. It is very non-intuitive to have bookmarks on the right. It feels as if I am in another country's application format. Bookmorks belong on the left or in a top left menu dropdown. Never on the right.

The tools can be on top or on the right.

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Miguel37848425qlsq

Participant

Agree with previous comments, dislike a lot the right side panel, feel like new programers are just making things hard to find. Happy to disable the new adobe reader version.

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DeeMc

Participant

Yep, the new forced flipped navigation/panels suck. Adobe, please put the side panels back the way they were. GEEEZ so freaking annoying!!

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B5EF7

Participant

"This is completely ineffective and counterproductive, especially when working with large documents with a long table of contents that needs to be referenced repeatedly....table of contents [or bookmarks here] on the left, detailed content on the right. "

@AniMM , that is a great point. And it's beyond just getting used to it. It's intuitive to have the bookmarks on the left. There was no functional reason to transpose the two side panels other than to make it look "updated". In other words, fixing something that wasn't broken. This change was entirely unecessary and has taken away from any appreciation I may have had for any improvements. If the only solution is to revert back to the previous version, it sort of defeats the purpose of an updated version.