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Correct answer MobileDeveloperCK

Hi.

Acrobat DC/Reader for Android supports custom/user bookmarks.  Unfortunately, Acrobat DC/Reader for iOS has not supported it yet.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

11 replies

New Participant
June 22, 2024

it's amazing i pay for a service that lacks the 2nd most fundamental requirement of a document platform.... bookmarks.

S_S
Community Manager
Community Manager
June 24, 2024

@seve7,

 

As mentioned earlier, the feature is under review because of some platform limitations from Apple.

 

Once those are cleared, the feature can be shipped.


-Souvik

New Participant
June 24, 2024

The original post is almost a decade old.  Doesnt seem that adobe cares about this feature.  It doesnt seem to be a limitation on PDFExpert on ipad.  

New Participant
May 5, 2023

It is incomprehensible that still in 2023 there is no ability to bookmark a PDF in iOS. This is ridiculous!

ls_rbls
Adobe Expert
May 6, 2023

You may need to also bring that observation to Apple's attention.

 

 

New Participant
May 6, 2023

Thanks so much for your prompt response. However...

Acrobat is not my product & I don't write the code. I merely pay to have premium features, which should include the very basic ability to bookmark a PDF. 
Since you are the app creator, I believe it is up to you to negotiate this basic functionality with Apple.

 

Thank you 

New Participant
February 28, 2021

Is this feature now available? I'm using Acrobat Pro version 21.01.04 on my Ipad and still can't find a way to add bookmarks. I'm in disbelief. I've tried other readers (goodreader/PDF Pro) and they all offer this functionality. 

ls_rbls
Adobe Expert
March 1, 2021

Not with the Acrobat Reader mobile I'm afraid, but I may be wrong.

ls_rbls
Adobe Expert
August 28, 2020

+++++ Adding to this discussion,

 

Let's be clear that the Acrobat Reader Mobile app wasn't necessarily developed entirely byAdobe. That is a fact that  falls on Google and the same goes with Apple and their iOS powered devices.

 

If you notice, you can download this app for Android OS from  both of the Adobe's download links and Google Play Store. But in the case of Apple, you may only download the app from their iTunes App Store. 

 

To clarify about the ability to add bookmarks with the app in Android OS , that is just a feature of the Android operating system, not Adobe.

 

Those bookmarks are not retained if you transfer that same file to your desktop computer and open it  with the Acrobat Pro DC full version.

 

So, again, this is only a feature that is only available in Google Android devices. This being the case, you may as well want to go and complain about it with Apple.

 

The main observation here is that, just like Adobe Reader DC, the Acrobat Reader mobile app is an open source software and free to use and distribute (some registration required in order to distribute in enterprise environments though). But when you sign-in with your AdobeID in the app, it unlocks non-free software (which is governed by copyrights, legal, and commercial licensing agreements).

 

So this is a very particular case of open source software that is tied up to commercial licensing features.

 

In other words, the ability to bookmark is obviously a licensed commercial feature. It will not be ditributed freely in an open source version of the PDF viewer and reader.

 

So, this also being the case, we should not confuse (nor compare), nor fall prey of misleading software advertising campaigns, and expect that a free PDF reader for mobile devices will have the same capabilites of a full blown PDF editor for desktop computers.

Brainiac
August 28, 2020

I do have some corrections for you.

"Let's be clear that the Acrobat Reader Mobile app wasn't necessarily developed entirely byAdobe."

All Adobe apps potentially include code written by others, and do rely on their operating system. But this is no more or less true for Mac/Windows versus Android/iOS

"If you notice, you can download this app for Android OS from  both of the Adobe's download links and Google Play Store. But in the case of Apple, you may only download the app from their iTunes App Store. "

This is Apple's absolute rule. Nobody else can distribute iOS apps. All iOS apps are checked very thoroughly to make sure they are "safe" for Apple users. But the code is still authored by the submitter (Adobe in this case). Google's rules for Android are more relaxed, but still many people block anything but the Google Play Store.

"To clarify about the ability to add bookmarks with the app in Android OS , that is just a feature of the Android operating system, not Adobe."

No, it's a feature of the app. From my memory (someone may correct me), the Android developers responded to requests for bookmarks by creating their own completely separate way of doing them, stored as a separate file. How this was allowed to happen is anyone's guess. The code to read the separate file is only in the Android app and in any case the separate file doesn't travel with the PDF.

"Those bookmarks are not retained if you transfer that same file to your desktop computer a...So, again, this is only a feature that is only available in Google Android devices. " True, because Adobe coded it that way.

"The main observation here is that, just like Adobe Reader DC, the Acrobat Reader mobile app is an open source software" GOOD GRIEF, NO IT ISN'T !!! That would mean the source was available, rather than a heavily protected trade secret. (It's a trade secret).

" and free to use and distribute" Free to license for use.

"But when you sign-in with your AdobeID in the app, it unlocks non-free software" Yes

"(which is governed by copyrights, legal, and commercial licensing agreements)." ALL the software is governed by this. The idea of unlocking part of an app if money is paid is the usual arrangement in iOS and Android.

 

"So this is a very particular case of open source software " No, no, no! Please look up "open source".

 

"So, this also being the case, we should not confuse (nor compare), nor fall prey of misleading software advertising campaigns, and expect that a free PDF reader for mobile devices will have the same capabilites of a full blown PDF editor for desktop computers." Absolutely right. The free (to use) software exists only to sell the commercial products, not to replace them.

ls_rbls
Adobe Expert
August 28, 2020

Test_Screen_Name:

 

Thank you for clarifying.

 

I apologize for using the wrong term... I don't know why the heck I said about open source.

 

I meant to say freeware... freeware with Propietary license..

 

To everyone in this thread, please excuse my mistake and any unnecessary confusions that I might've create.

 

About the bookmarks, I was corrected by other  Adobe ACPs and MVPs before.

 

Back in December 2019 there was another user asking this question.

 

I told the user that I was able to bookmark in Android, but then an Adobe ACP sustained that this was a feature of Android, not the Acrobat Reader mobile app; answer was marked as correct... 

 

I assume that  some more research is necessary find out about this feature  and see if it belongs to Android or the app.

New Participant
August 24, 2020

Hi Everyone,

I've found a workaround. iOS Adobe lets you write comments, which record the page on which they are written.

 

1. Write the comment on the page you wish to bookmark (I would suggest commenting with the subject matter to which you wish to jump).

2. Go to the "..." at the top corner and select Comments, which will show a list of all your comments and the page on which they are written.

3. Click on the comment to jump to that page.

 

Bookmarks with editable titles! (That was a silver lining exclamation point, Adobe should have implemented bookmarks by now, but I'm not sure I would have found a way to title the bookmark, so... silver lining.)

New Participant
January 26, 2021

Thanks for the tip.  Unfortunetly I'm using this a text book and I do alot of highlighting of text.  All my highlights also show up in comments which means I have alot of comments.  But at least I can find how far into the book I've read.

Known Participant
July 26, 2020

What a lame it is not implemented. It is a shame. They will be surprised why other PDF reader apps are more popular. In my opinion done could easily develop a decent editor/reader app. I think people the pay Adobe CC deserves this basic service.

Bernd Alheit
Adobe Expert
July 26, 2020

Users of Creative Cloud can add bookmarks with Adobe Acrobat.

New Participant
July 27, 2020

Not on iPad

New Participant
July 23, 2020

5 years since this post was created and there's still no fix to this most basic of problems. This is a great example of Adobe's lack of commitment to your customers and a lack of focus on your products. This is why monopolies are bad. I think I will try and circulate this on LinkedIn and maybe bring some more widespread attention on it. 

Brainiac
July 24, 2020

There is only one way to request feature updates, anything else is just chat. https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

New Participant
June 5, 2020

It is now the year 2020, it has been five years. Why shouldn't I use PDF Reader, or another cheaper device with more features, including a basic one such as bookmarking? Please Adobe... why should it be so hard to respond to this request?

New Participant
May 19, 2018

Dudes @adobe seriously? Please re-establish your connection to reality, common sense, call it what you want.

New Participant
February 19, 2019

I agree. Please Adobe, the possibility to create bookmarks even on an iPad is highly desired.

New Participant
May 22, 2019

Now over 4 years on from when a sensible enhancement/improvement request was made.

Still nada

Not impressive, Adobe

New Participant
February 25, 2017

Shit still got no bookmark in 2017 wth