Adobe Reader, now distributed as Adobe Acrobat Reader, is Adobe’s free application for opening, reading, printing, commenting on, filling out and signing PDF files. It runs on Windows and macOS, as a mobile app for iOS and Android, and through the Acrobat web app in a browser. Reader needs no subscription; tools that change the content of a PDF belong to the paid Acrobat plans.
Opening and reading PDFs
Adobe Reader displays a PDF the way its author built it, keeping the original fonts, page layout and embedded content intact. That matters for contracts, manuals and forms, where a shifted line or a substituted font can change how a page reads. Documents can be printed directly from the viewer.
The mobile version of Acrobat Reader adds several ways to move through a file: continuous scrolling, single-page view, a reading mode, night mode and full-screen display. Bookmarks and the table of contents jump to sections of long documents. Text search finds words across the file. Read-aloud plays the text back with controls for pausing, speed and language.
Liquid Mode on phones and tablets
A standard PDF page is fixed in size, which forces pinching and zooming on a small screen. Liquid Mode in the Acrobat Reader mobile app reflows supported content into a single readable column that fits the display. Text size, character spacing and line spacing can be adjusted, and a reset option restores the defaults. The reflow only affects the view; the original file stays unchanged. Very long documents, beyond 200 pages, cannot be opened in Liquid Mode.
Sticky notes and the comments list
Reader includes a full set of review tools on desktop and mobile. Sticky notes attach a comment to a spot on the page, while highlight, underline and strikethrough mark selected text. Users can place typed text directly on a page. Freehand drawing, with a choice of colour and line width, covers circles, arrows and handwritten notes.
A comments list collects all markup. Users can reply to, edit or delete each entry. On Android, Acrobat Reader also accepts voice comments.
Filling forms and adding signatures
The Fill & Sign tool first checks whether a PDF contains interactive form fields. If it does, Adobe Reader lets the user click into each field and type, including combed fields that split text into separate boxes. If the form is a flat document with no fields, such as a scanned application, text can be typed anywhere on the page instead. Radio-style options can be marked with a cross, a check mark or a dot.
Reader keeps an autofill collection of earlier entries and offers details like a name or address as suggestions on the next form. Users can draw a signature with a mouse, finger or stylus, type it, or create it from an uploaded image of a handwritten signature. They can then place it anywhere on the page. Reader saves signatures and initials for reuse. Users can replace a saved signature or initial but cannot edit it. The completed form can then be saved or sent without printing it.
Sharing files for review
The Share feature in Acrobat Reader sends a PDF by link or as an email invitation. Recipients can view and comment without signing in to an Adobe account. On mobile, the sender can allow or block commenting, set a review deadline and receive notifications when the file is opened, downloaded or passed on. Shared review files, together with their comments, can also be saved as local copies.
Files and cloud storage
Besides local files, Adobe Reader opens PDFs stored in Adobe’s cloud storage and in connected services such as OneDrive and Dropbox. Saving a file to Adobe’s storage lets work started on a computer continue in the mobile app or the web version.
Reader compared with paid Acrobat plans
Adobe Reader works with a PDF’s existing content but does not change it. The following table shows where the free app stops and the subscription plans begin.
| Task | Acrobat Reader | Paid Acrobat plans |
|---|---|---|
| View, print, search and read PDFs | Yes | Yes |
| Comment, highlight and draw | Yes | Yes |
| Fill forms and add your own signature | Yes | Yes |
| Edit text and images in a PDF | No | Yes |
| Rotate, reorder, delete, insert or extract pages | No | Yes |
| Export to Word, Excel, PowerPoint or image formats | No | Yes |
| Combine, compress or password-protect files | No | Yes |
| Redact content and compare files | No | Acrobat Pro and above |
Acrobat Pro also turns scanned pages into editable PDFs and creates web forms. Acrobat Studio adds AI tools for summaries and PDF Spaces. PDF Spaces gather files and links into a hub that users can query. A separate AI Assistant add-on answers questions about an open document and produces summaries. Users who already hold a subscription sign in to Acrobat Reader to unlock these features in the same app. Adobe’s separate Adobe Scan app handles scanning paper documents with a phone camera rather than Reader itself.
