Skip to main content
Participant
June 8, 2022
Answered

How can I turn off permanently the bookmarks panel in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2021

  • June 8, 2022
  • 17 replies
  • 104035 views

How can I turn off permanently the bookmarks panel in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2021?

I cannot find any solution that work for this newest version on google.

 

Thank you for your help.

Correct answer J34538704dm2b

Thanks a TON, Steve!  The multiple new windows have been micro-annoyances for years. 

 

Bonus: How to remove the right hand UI "tools" window pane
1 Bring up preferences with CTLR-K
2 choose Documents
3 Check the box: "Remember curent state of Tools Pane"
4 OK

5 Next time you open a doc and then close the right hand Tools pane, it should come up closed in future docs.

 

Thanks, again, Steve!

17 replies

Participant
April 18, 2024

This is such an annoyance, yet so easy for Adboe to fix for us, they clearly do not care. Why should I have to "print" the PDF just to get this idiotic bookmake pane to stop opening. Please, Adobe, FIX THIS. I cant do anything about what program my employer provides or I would drop Adobe immediately over this. 

Participant
November 16, 2023

Is it possible to open pdf documents stored on hard drive in Read mode (Ctrl+H) by default? That would turn off all panes at once.

I need to review a lot of pdf documents and having to press Ctrl+H every time I open a pdf document is just annoying. There should be a way to set this for all pdf documents by default at once.

Thanks for help.

Participant
January 1, 2024

Try Steve's reply above + my reply for tools

Participant
February 21, 2024

None of this works.  The only reason the PDFs are opening up without the bookmarks is because you've already saved them without the bookmarks.  Jane is correct above.

Participant
September 16, 2023

Click on bookmark icon on the right hand side panel. Bookmark panel will not open next time you open any document.

 

Participant
November 15, 2023

Oh yes it does!  This doesn't work.  Very anoying! 

Participant
August 23, 2023

Hello just wondering whether you ever found a solution to this?

Participant
August 29, 2023

none of these settings seem to work. I don't want bookmarks EVER. someone @ Adobe must think that this is essentail for all becuse it just won't go away

 

Participant
September 14, 2023

It is incredibly annoying, why "Restore last view settings when reopening documents" was removed in the latest version stumps me.

Participant
June 23, 2023
  1. Open Adobe without opening a file
  2. Go to Preferences> Documents
  3. Select "Restore last view settings when reopening documents"
  4. Click "OK"
  5. Open an Adobe file.
  6. Close the bookmarks panel.
  7. Save and close the Adobe file.
  8. The next document you open should have the bookmarks panel closed.
Participant
June 23, 2023
  1. Open Adobe [Acrobat]without opening a file
  2. Go to Preferences> Documents
  3. Select "Restore last view settings when reopening documents"
  4. Click "OK"
  5. Open an Adobe [Acrobat]  file.
  6. Close the bookmarks panel.
  7. Save and close the Adobe [Acrobat]file.
  8. The next document you open should have the bookmarks panel closed

 

 

("Acrobat" added by moderator. Adobe is a company; Acrobat is an application.)

 

 

Participant
February 26, 2025

It did not work for me

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 8, 2022

@default65jmig9yzaom wrote:

How can I turn off permanently the bookmarks panel in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2021?


 

I can think of two things you might be asking:

  • To hide the Bookmarks panel from the left-hand navigation panels, go to View menu > Show / Hide > Navigation panels > uncheck Bookmarks. You can also right-click in the blank area under the Navigation panels.
  • If the Bookmarks panel is opening automatically when you open a PDF, go to File menu > Properties Preferences > Initial View and set the initial view to "Page Only", then save the document.


    If the file is locked for editing, then you can't make the change. Only someone with the password can make the change. In case someone reads this later, it cannot be changed with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader either.

 

Is this what you are asking?

 

EDIT: changed "preferences" to "properties". Thank you Bernd.

 

Jane

 

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 8, 2022

> go to File menu > Preferences > Initial View

 

It is available at the File Properties.

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 8, 2022

There's no such option. This is a built-in part of the application and can't be "turned off".

Participating Frequently
January 19, 2025

you are correct, but it should be... Adobe forgot to include it.
you can also disable it via regedit