Manage PDFs in Chrome

You can open, search, and edit PDFs in Chrome.

Important: To use these PDF features, your device must run Android 12 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Open a PDF

You can open a PDF from a website in the Chrome browser. You don’t need to download the PDF or use a PDF reader.

  1. On your Android device, open Chrome Chrome.
  2. Go to a website with a PDF.
  3. To open, tap the PDF link.

Tips:

  • You can also scan a QR code to open a PDF in Chrome.
  • You can’t open a PDF with Chrome while in Incognito mode. You’ll get a prompt to download the file when in Incognito mode.
  • Your dark mode and dynamic color preferences in Chrome carry over to your PDF. Learn how to browse in dark mode or dark theme.
  • To open a PDF in an alternative PDF viewer:
    1. At the top right, tap More and then Open with... .
    2. Select your preferred PDF viewer.
      • If prompted, select Just Once or Always Open.

Navigate a PDF

You can navigate a PDF similar to a web page.

You can:

  • Scroll through the file: When you scroll, the “Edit” button disappears and the scroll handle shows on the right-hand side.
  • Zoom in and out:
    • To zoom in, on the screen, pinch open.
    • To zoom out, on the screen, pinch closed.
  • Select text:
    1. Touch and hold the text.
    2. To adjust your selection, drag the handles.

Find text in a PDF

  1. In an open PDF in Chrome, at the top right, tap More .
  2. Select Find in page.
  3. Enter the text.
  4. To find the next or previous instance of the text, select the up or down arrow.

Edit a PDF

  1. In an open PDF in Chrome, at the bottom right, tap Edit .
    • The PDF opens in Google Drive.
  2. From the menu, at the bottom of the screen, you can edit with:
    • Pen

    • Highlighter

    • Eraser

    • Undo or Redo Redo

    • Hide or Show annotations Preview

Tip: If you use an Android tablet, at the left of the screen, you can find the menu.

Download a PDF

  1. In an open PDF in Chrome, at the top right, tap More .
  2. Tap Download .

Tip: To find all of your downloaded files, at the top right, tap More and then Downloads .

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