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A.J.V.
A.J.V.
Participant
May 12, 2026
Answered

Can one open download pdf files in Chrome and directly open them in Reader?

  • May 12, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 22 views

I currently have the Acrobat extension installed in Google Chrome, and find it very useful to open online pdf files that I just want to read but not necessarily save. However, when I know that I want to save the file, it would be helpful to download it and open it in the Acrobat app. I know I can do that by opening it in the extension first and then choosing “Open in desktop app”, but is there any way to bypass the extension and directly open it in the app?

According to the Adobe Help article “Open PDFs in Acrobat Reader from Chrome”, there should be a way to get a ‘prompt’ to “Open in Acrobat Reader”, however I can’t seem to get that to show up. (The article is from 2022 so the information may not be current.) I’ve tried it both with the extension enabled and disabled; when enabled, online pdf’s just automatically open in the extension, while when disabled they open in the Chrome pdf viewer instead.

If there is (still) a way to download online pdf files and directly open them in the Acrobat app, I would love to know how. Thanks!

    Correct answer Dave Creamer of IDEAS

    You should have two options:

    When you open in Acrobat extension, there should be a download icon (so you don’t have to select Open in Desktop App)

    If you know the link is a PDF, you can right-click on it and download it directly. 

    3 replies

    A.J.V.
    A.J.V.Author
    Participant
    May 12, 2026

    Thanks for both replies; as I suspected, one has to open the file in the extension first before opening it in the app. I was hoping to open files directly in the app, but oh well!

    Anand Sri Bhattacharya
    Community Manager
    Anand Sri BhattacharyaCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    May 13, 2026

    ​@A.J.V. The suggestions shared are the current workflow available. You can use the Adobe Wish form to file a feature request with the product team and share your observation with them directly: https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac

     

    Thanks,

    Anand Sri.

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    May 12, 2026

    You should have two options:

    When you open in Acrobat extension, there should be a download icon (so you don’t have to select Open in Desktop App)

    If you know the link is a PDF, you can right-click on it and download it directly. 

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
      Anand Sri Bhattacharya
      Community Manager
      Anand Sri BhattacharyaCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      May 12, 2026

      Hello @A.J.V.


      I hope you are doing well, and thank you for reaching out and sharing detailed information.


      The "Open in Acrobat Reader" prompt you read about in the Help article only appears when the Acrobat Chrome extension is installed and enabled; that prompt is part of the extension itself, which is why turning off the extension makes Chrome fall back to its own built-in PDF viewer. There is no separate prompt outside of the extension. You can find more details here: https://adobe.ly/3QZyUMN.


      You can also refer to this article: https://adobe.ly/4wvkMey.


      I hope this helps.

      Regards,

      Anand Sri.

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