ipadOS version of reader app runs horrendously slow on iPad

[Curly26607510lq64]

I have version 22.12.00 (20221213.155808) of the Reader app on an iPad fourth generation under iOS 15.7. The app continues to run slow [cursing removed]. When a document is selected it takes about 10 seconds to open it, and about five seconds to close it. Once the document is open the screen freezes and it is about another 10 or 15 seconds before one can move about the document.

What [cursing removed] is going on here?

Nearly every update to this reader app always makes a mention about performance improvements or performance and stability improvements. Can we stop knitting in so much other fluff features into the code and just get it to run yes very well as a reader app?

I don't know how the app installs wanted to text that the mobile device is an iPhone but the same version on an iPhone 8 with a slower processor than the iPad fourth generation runs just fine. Documents open and close quickly and navigation/scrolling is a breeze as soon as the document is open. 

I have been to the Apple store and they have run full diagnostics on the iPad. The processor is running flat out at its rate of speed, and the storage is fine. The operating system is reading and writing from storage properly.

[Please keep your language civil or risk being banned from the forums.]

[jane-e]

Hi @Curly26607510lq64 

Since your question is about Acrobat Reader for iPad, I have moved this from the Acrobat Reader forum (for desktop) where you posted.

~ Jane

[S. S]

Hi @Curly26607510lq64,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for your experience with Acrobat Reader Mobile.

With the device you mentioned, would you mind updating your iPadOS to the latest version (16.2) and then checking if the situation remains the same?

Also, do you experience this with all or specific files? If with specific files, we would need a sample file to reproduce the issue to investigate further.

Look forward to hearing from you.

-Souvik.

[Curly26607510lq64]

Had to wait until month end when I could do my file back ups and do the iPad OS upgrade. In that time iPadOS16.3 came available.

It's in, I have tried the reader, and the performance is still horrible. Ignoring how long it takes to get off the splash screen and show the file list, still takes about five seconds to open a document, once the document is presented, still about 10 or 15 seconds before the screen will un-stick, and one can scroll through the document, and another five seconds to close the document. 

>>[Please keep your language civil or risk being banned from the forums.]

 Here's a thought: fix the performance of the app, and contain the urge to lob on all this extra code that seems to perform all sorts of functions other than just simply opening and presenting a document so users aren't pulling their hair out waiting for the app to respond when the heat is on and they need to get things done. Side-by-side on my device is YouTube, which is coming up on 300 MB in size just like the Adobe reader app and the YouTube app by comparison is smooth and fluid and seamless.

[ShirleyYouJest]

Same issue here using iPhone and iPad. For about 2 minutes reader was greatly improved after the last update but went back to being excruciatingly slow to do anything. Touch a control and wait to see if/when it responds.  Wait 10 or 20 seconds before the document allows you to expand view or scroll pages.

did you swap out your entire programming staff?

[ShirleyYouJest]

I see another update. Hopefully that one fixes this. These functions are the absolute most basic of the reader app.

[Bjørn Erik30014445hu27]

Same here, the app is running so slow that it is practicly unusable. It happened a couple a weeks ago. I have the latest IOS and the latest version of the app. 

If this continues, i see no reasons for using the app anymore. 

And yes, I have tried to "delete" the app and re-install it. Nothing changed. 

[Ian30550119lgz6]

Exactly the same issue. I have an iPad 8th Generation, and Adobe Reader is tediously slow.

to be fair the slowness is most apparent when trying to view scanned PDFs of books and magazines from archive web sites.

Has Adobe considered a "Lite" version for we owners of lightweight iPads?. Perhaps the more expensive iPad versions having more memory and faster processors should retain this version and a cut down version could be issued for less powerful machines.

Either that or give us a means of turning off features we rarely use, which slow reading PDFs down.

Please, Adobe! Help! 😫

[Curly26607510lq64]

I don't see what offering a LITE version would accomplish. From the user perspective, the code is just running like crap. If the program logic is only running through the code, required to respond to screen gestures, and the code to open and show a PDF, The cold bed can have as much extra stuff in it as it wants. If the logic is not running through that code, that chunk of memory gets benignly, paged out and the app should respond quickly.

I have been running other viewing apps like Fox, it, PDF, viewer and PDFpro on this old are fourth generation iPad and they respond quickly and wonderfully.

You would think Adobe code developers would smarten up and get this fixed since Adobe developed this document format in the first place.

[Ian30550119lgz6]

Thanks for mentioning alternatives. I found “PDF Reader” by Dmytro Skorokhod and am now using it instead of Adobe Reader - to simply read my PDF documents, books and magazines.

It’s quick to load (almost instant) and scrolls smoothly. Absolutely none of the freezing, stuttering and hesitation of the Adobe product.

I agree that the problem with Adobe Reader is deep. My guess is that it’s full of old code and patches, etc. Does the paid version work better? Perhaps the free version is being hobbled in order to “encourage” users to pay extra?

Cheers, Ian

Sent from my iPad

[S. S]

@Ian30550119lgz6 @Curly26607510lq64 Sorry for your experience.

Would you mind sharing a few pieces of information for us to investigate better:

1. The iPad Os version you are on;

2. The app version you are using (Go to Profile-> About Acrobat);

3. A screen recording of the entire scenario happening.

Look forward to hearing from you.

-Souvik

[Bjørn Erik30014445hu27]

Hi, 

I have now deleted all my files on my iPad, deleted the app and tried once more. Still the same happens. 

In fact it was actually running a bit smoother if I didn't log in on the app as a user. 

I have updated my Ipad to the latest and the app aswell. I don't have a recording but you could imagine this: 

1) open the app - no problems

2) scroll and find the file that I would open - no problem

3) open file - wait for about a minute. 

4) scroll your file - wait for lag, wait for more minutes, one page is coming, scroll to the next and more lagging. 

Funny enough the oldest pdf.-files transfered to the pad was working better than the new ones. 

I am now searching for other apps, because this is not working. I need documents now, not in 10 minutes. This is not verry large pdf-files, about 150mb - 200 mb at most. 

Please do fix!! 

[Flawless_Sunrise5D50]

Same issue running reader on brand new ipad pro with M3 chip. (July 2024). All I want to do is play piano music from a downloaded pdf -- and I have to stop and wait in the middle of a bar for the pdf to catch up when I swipe up to the next page. This was the only reason I bought the ipad pro and a) it is slower than my 6 year old ipad while  b) it can't be used for concerts as I can't just stop in the middle of a performance to scroll! What a waste! Am planning to take screenshots of each page of music as it should be faster to view jpegs than pdfs.

[Amal.]

Hi @Flawless_Sunrise5D50

I hope you're doing well. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Could you please let me know the version of iPadOS and the Acrobat Reader mobile app you're using? You can find this by tapping on the Profile icon and selecting "About Adobe Acrobat." If you haven’t already, please try updating the app from the App Store and restarting your device to see if that fixes the issue.

Also, a short video recording of the steps you're taking and the problem you're experiencing would be really helpful.

~Amal