Adobe Acrobat Reader (for iPad) Accessibility with a Creative Cloud Subscription

Report · Oct 26, 2020

Hi there,

I've just been sent on a wild goose chase trying to get a clear answer, so bear with me please and thanks.

I have the Creative Cloud (CC) annual subscription, and use the applications on two devices total, my laptop (MacBook) and iPad.

When I download Adobe Acrobat on my iPad, I only have access to the free trial version.

I recall, before purchasing the CC, that I subscribed for a week's trial of the full version that's available for iPad (Adobe Acrobat), albeit with a different email (the one associated with my Apple account). I cancelled before I was billed.

My CC subscription uses a different email, and indeed, when I install the Adobe Acrobat application on my iPad, I'm signed in with the correct email that is associated CC subscription. I also signed out/deactivated my CC subscription on my laptop, so I was signed out of everything, to see if doing this would grant me access to the full version of Adobe Acrobat on my iPad.

I'm now aware that Acrobat Pro isn't the same thing as the version available (Adobe Acrobat Reader) for iPad. This confused me at first.

My question is, is a separate subscription needed to have access to the iPad version that says "Premium tools for mobile"? One that is different from Acrobat DC as part of CC?

I go to "Acrobat and PDF" in my CC hub on my laptop (the installed application on my MacBook), clicked on "Acrobat Reader" under the mobile tab, and got a download link sent to me. I delete the Adobe Acrobat Reader app, then reinstall using the link I'm sent, it's still saying I only have access to a free trial version; I cannot annotate or use my apple pencil to sign documents, do anything in the application on my iPad.

I am so confused and frustrated. Does this mean I spent over 200$ just to have access to one version, on one device? Is there a discrepancy or some issue with my email addresses associated with my Adobe accounts and on my devices (i.e. could the old email/Adobe ID–which is also attached to my Apple account–be conflicting with the one my current annual CC subscription is associated with)?

Please help!